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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24792892">Unforgiven Part: 1</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthPrysm/pseuds/DarthPrysm'>DarthPrysm</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Porg_Master/pseuds/Porg_Master'>Porg_Master</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Death, F/M, Forbidden Love, Hurt, If elves had killed the humans instead of exiling them, Purge, Rayla kills, Rayllum, Rayllum (The Dragon Prince) - Freeform, The Dark Side of Rayla, War, more characters will be added as the story progresses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:36:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>23,603</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24792892</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthPrysm/pseuds/DarthPrysm, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Porg_Master/pseuds/Porg_Master</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Elves and Dragons ban together to destroy the human menace that threatens to destroy the magical populous of Xadia for their vile dark magic rituals and spells. Rayla, being a Moonshadow elf, is tasked with finding those humans who managed to evade the destruction from the purge and kill them so that Xadia can at last have peace.</p><p>However, humans are not exactly as Rayla expected and one in particular has managed to escape capture, but in the process, has captured something of Rayla's... Her heart.</p><p> </p><p>This work is a what if. What if: The dragons and elves decided to kill the humans instead of exiling them with the, "Merciful Compromise" mentioned in the prologue of, The Dragon Prince Book One: Moon. Modern characters (ig. Rayla, Callum, Runaan) are used in place of ones that no one has any idea about. Enjoy, Unforgiven</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Harrow/Sarai (The Dragon Prince)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>145</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>209</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Vedict</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Just got, The Dragon Prince, Book One: Moon and thought what if?... So... Well, here ya go!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
  <span>“Humans are vile creatures! Just look at what they have done to our sacred homeland! They have killed thousands of beautiful creatures and driven the unicorns to near extinction! We cannot let them stay here any longer! They need to die!” One of the elves yelled from his wooden bench. The Great Tree was the meeting place of all elves from each source of magic. The inside of their meeting place, the Great Tree, was lit with fireflies and other luminescent creatures that swarmed the sky above, as well as the bright half moon that hung above the leaves, sending down shafts of ethereal lunar light. The inside of the gargantuan tree was carved out to seat thousands upon thousands of elves. Each column of benches was carefully carved into six sections to accommodate for the six primal sources and the elves that were born under them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Thank you Runaan for sharing your extreme view of things.” One of the elves on the high pedestal addressed. The high pedestal was a large overhang where each of the leaders of each clan of elves sat. Whether it was to show their superiority, or to be heard was confusing to Rayla, but whatever the case was, both of her ideas seemed accurate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“My views are not extreme, they are practical! How long do you intend to keep the human scum alive? How many more innocent beings shall suffer and die at their hands to perform their wicked spells?” Runaan shouted at the Starwake elf who had dismissed him. Rayla stood adjacent to Runaan and was beginning to get a headache at how loud and how much he was yelling. This was a very unusual state for him to be in. Normally he was quiet, like most Moonshadow elves were, especially at meetings. His argument must have really touched his heart for him to be screaming in such a manner.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>Rayla, being a minor, was not supposed to speak unless called upon. Stars! She wasn’t supposed to be there at all! Elves under the age of eighteen were usually not permitted into meetings, especially ones as important as this one. But Runaan was adamant that she attended, and she could never thank him enough for that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“I understand your concern Runaan, but taking such drastic measures at this time would be…” The Starwake was cut off as Runaan went into another tangent.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“I don’t care about your opinion Aaravos! But when would the proper time be? We’re all here right now! I say we get rid of this human scourge once and for all!” Many elves started cheering at Runaan’s statements, but an equal amount stayed silent, shaking their heads in disapproval. The leaders on the high pedestal began clamoring for some semblance of order as they hammered at their desks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Order! ORDER!” The Tidebound elder yelled from the high pedestal. His voice resonated through the hollow tree and many of the fireflies skidded away in fear. The Great Tree became silent again as the Tidebound collected himself once more, Runaan was still huffing with rage beside Rayla. “Runaan of the Moonshadow clan, I hate humans just as much as you do and I agree that they should be rid of Xadia’s magical lands. But, who are we to determine their fate? The sun brings life into this world, and the moon swallows it up when it’s flame of life has diminished. This is the way of things and we cannot change it.” Runaan looked down for a moment before raising his head once more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“You’re right Flijji.” Runaan began, addressing the Tidebound leader. “The moon is to control life and death. The moon is the judge. And my people just so happen to be connected to the moon. We Moonshadow elves are the judges, and we are taking matters into our own hands whether you decide to join us or not. Are you with me Moonshadow elves?!” Runaan called as the congregation before and behind Rayla rose with thunderous applause, cheering and whooping. Rayla however, remained seated, some part of her still wasn’t sure if Runaan’s vengeful call to action was appropriate, even based on the human’s dreadful actions. “Are you with me elves?!” Runaan called to the other five sections of the tree.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>There was a long pause before some loud cheering could be heard directly to the left of the Moonshadow elf section.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“We’re with you Runaan!” The leader of the Sunfire elves said loudly as the cheering from both sections increased. Runaan gave a pleased smile as he turned to look at Rayla for the first time since his enraged tangents. Rayla gave a reassuring smile that was meant to reassure herself more than Runaan. She still wasn’t sure what to think of all this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“We shall join as well!” Dhyris, the leader of the Skywing elves said as his congregation joined the cheering.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Then we will join as well.” Flijji said as the Tidebounds to joined the chaotic cheering.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Us too!” The Earthblood elves said loudly, overruling the verdict of their appointed leader who seemed to be against the movement at first, but quickly changed his mind at the sight of his people’s cheering. There was only one clan of elves left to persuade.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“And what of your people Aaravos?” Runaan asked as the entire assembly, including the Starwake elves below him, turned towards the leader. Aaravos did not seem intimidated by the amount of eyes turned toward him, in fact, it appeared as if he was enjoying the attention.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“If I agree to this, then there will be no going back.” Aaravos said somberly as Runaan waved a dismissive hand at him. Quite impolite, especially for such an important gathering.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Cut the theatrics. We aren’t turning back anyway.” Runaan said as the elves all cheered once more. Aaravos shook his head slowly in disappointment. It seemed he had a soft spot for these vile humans.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“The Starwake clan will join you on one condition.” Aaravos said at last. Runaan cocked his head, silently urging Aaravos to continue. “The dragons must also agree in this matter. Then and only then will you have the approval of the stars.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>Runaan smiled again but this time his face seemed sinister and quite plainly, evil. Rayla had never seen this side of Runaan ever! She had had no idea that he was this passionate about the death of humans, but she never thought that he was this passionate. Rayla mulled the meeting over in her mind again as she came to the realisation that what Runaan was proposing was genocide! He and the other elves would slaughter every last human! There had to be something that could save the humans from this fate. Suddenly, an idea formed just as soon as Runaan began speaking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“The thing is,” He began, his voice was cold and heartless, much unlike his regular voice. The sudden change sent chills down Rayla’s spine. “I presented this idea to the dragon queen before I presented it to you. She agrees and is sending Dragons to escort us as we speak.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>The entire congregation went silent at Runaan’s words. Had Rayla heard that right? The dragons were in favor of this terrible proposition?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Luna Tenebris agrees with you?” Aaravos said again, either in disbelief or for clarity. Runaan said nothing but gave a curt nod and another sinister smile. Aaravos sighed before continuing, “Then we strike when the moon is highest. Warriors, prepare your weapons and your courage. Today will be a day long remembered.” Rayla’s idea for a better way was yearning to escape her lips, but she held her tongue non the less as she thought of the embarrassment that she might cause Runaan. He was her mentor and there was no way in her right mind that she would disobey him. She would have to listen and kill the human. Every last one of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“This is it Rayla.” Runaan said as they made their way through the crowd of preparing elves and toward the exit. “Today we wipe out dark magic and the scourge of the human race forever.” Rayla looked down and tried to keep her voice as cheery as possible.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“This is it.” She repeated, mocking happiness in her tone. Runaan had apparently taken the bait as he continued,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“With no more threat, the unicorns can return and the magical creatures can rest easy with their true predators gone for good.” Rayla gave a subtle sigh that Runaan, thankfully, didn’t pick up on. “The elves and dragons will have restored peace to the world.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
  <span>“No more theivin’ humans. No more heinous dark magic. Just peace… I like the sound of that.” Rayla said as her mood began to brighten at the thought of perfect harmony and true peace throughout the world. Such a shame that peace always seemed to have to come through violence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“And that's exactly why I brought you tonight.” Runaan said as he looked down at his student. Rayla looked back in confusion as she waited for Runaan to finish. “I knew that you would want to rid the world of this plague as much as I, and I’m thankful that you managed to hold your tongue during the ceremony. I’m sure you wanted to add your input.” Rayla gave a slight chuckle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“More than you know.” She said as Runaan clapped a hand on her shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Don’t worry, you will get to have your share of last words.” He said as they exited the hollow tree and into the cool night air. The half moon shined down on the dark green grass, sending small flickers of light when it hit the foliage just right. “I’m arranging a team of two soldiers from each of the clans.” Runaan said. Rayla glanced up at him. “Don’t worry, I have the approval of the dragons and elders.” Rayla gave a quick sigh of relief.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Like the Dragonguard?” Rayla asked as Runaan stared into the dark sky, searching for something.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Sort of.” He said as a dark shape clouded a part of the moon. “Only, you will be a part of it.” Rayla gasped with happiness. Her parents were serving in the Dragonguard currently and nothing could have possibly made her more happy than honoring them by joining another similar operation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Thank you!” Rayla finally exclaimed after a few moments of speechlessness. “Do ya really think I’m ready?” She asked as she began to doubt herself. Runaan gave an amused chuckle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“You are.” He said as the shape in the moon came nearer. “I’ll give you more details after the purge. For now just stay safe.” Rayla looked at him in bewilderment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“I’m not coming?” She asked as the dragon that was the shape in the moon landed beside them with a thud. Runaan jumped on its back, as did a few other elves.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Of course you are!” Runaan began as he patted the hide behind him on the beautiful blue dragon. “Just don’t wander off alright?” Rayla nodded and hopped up onto the azure dragon. Today was the day that the elves would be rid of this human menace once and for all. From this day on, Xadia would finally have peace.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Purge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>And now we see Rayla's darkness and devotion</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
  <span>The stench of blood clogged Rayla’s nose as she looked beyond the treeline and into the human village, burning brightly with fire and sending ashes and embers flying into the night sky. Every now and then, particularly loud screams of terror and wailing would reach her pointed ears and reverberate in her mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“For now, your job is to stop any humans trying to escape.” Runaan had told her. “Though they deserve it, do not make them suffer. For we are kind in this way.” He had said, although now that she thought of it, taking life wasn’t kind in the slightest. But this was something she had to do. She would honor her parents and Runaan by completing this task and entering Runaan’s special league… whatever it was, no matter what the price may be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>Another shriek of a dying human pierced the night air that was no longer cold in temperature, but cold in death. The warmth of human blood splattered on the earth sending a certain chill that can only be related to death. And Rayla could feel it. The encumbering weight of death hung in the air, dragging down her spirit as if trying to claw it below the ground. The sadness and bleakness of it all was finally reaching her senses before they were interrupted by a snapping twig beneath her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>Rayla looked down to find a figure running through the dark forest. His smell was of blood and he carried a single handed sword in his right hand. He chopped vigorously at the branches that stood in his way of escape. It was with these chops of desperateness that Rayla realised the figure was a human. Rayla instinctively dropped down as the human stopped before her, his breath heavy with exhaustion and fear. His voice was filled with sheer terror as Rayla took a step forward and trained her blades on the man's throat after knocking his sword aside and backing him against a tree.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Why are you doing this?!” He yelled desperately, “This is wrong!” Rayla’s hood prevented the human from seeing her eyes, as it also prevented hers from seeing his. Rayla shook her head, defying the humans' words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“No,” She began as her blades cut cleanly across and through his neck. Blood splattered everywhere, on to her hood. Even onto her mouth, she lifted her four fingered hand to wipe away the crimson liquid. While wiping away the blood, she noticed the dark crimson fluid slowly dripping off the edge of her sword. The head of the human runaway hit the ground with a soft thud as the body began to topple over. “This is justice.” She told herself as she looked down at the human for the first time. He wore an all red outfit, apart from it being stained by the slaughtered fluid, and his hair was embedded in dreadlocks. His skin was darker than many of the humans and his dark hair ran down his chin in a bloodstained beard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>Rayla stepped away from the corpse as she looked down at her hands in horror. She had just taken a life. Something that could never be replaced or remade. She had killed another living creature. But she had to. She had to do this to cleanse the world of the human pandemic. The scourge that continued to destroy life. Was it better that she was ending the lives of those who would take lives, or did this mean that she was an accomplice to their heinous works. She was still so confused and yet so determined. Her honor hung in the balance of her actions, and so far, she had upheld it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>A sudden scream split the air for the upteenth time that night, only this one was much closer. It came from the trees that Rayla and the corpse were within. Rayla spun around to find a face hidden in the leaves, it’s features covered in tears. The face turned and ran in the opposite direction. Rayla pursued.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>The chase was relatively brief. Rayla was flying in the branches of the treetops, her feet striking the bark swiftly and gracefully before peeling away with a powerful kick that sent her flying to the next branch. Her bloodstained swords trailed behind her in her hands that were positioned directly behind her back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“When the first kill is made,” Runaan had said to her on their flight here. “You will put this on.” He had handed her a face mask that covered her mouth, eyes and forehead. Her hood would cover the rest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>With this in mind, Rayla reached behind and into her vest pocket. She pulled out the strange black mask and slapped it on her face before jumping from the trees and into the dark undergrowth below, cutting off the second human’s escape. The human, a female that Rayla assumed must have been close to the other, skidded to a halt in front of her, her eyes wide with fear and pain. Although she was not physically injured, the female seemed to be hurting deeply. Rayla loosened her grip on her blades as she looked into those petrified orbs, widened by terror.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Please.” The human whispered. Rayla tightened her fists again as she brandished her swords menacingly. She took a step forward as the human took one back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>Was this woman the wife of the man she had just beheaded? </span>
  <em>
    <span>No Rayla! Don’t think like that!</span>
  </em>
  <span> She yelled in her mind. Did they have a family? Children that they loved and cared for? </span>
  <em>
    <span>No! Stop!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Her mind yelled at her mind. The human fidgeted slightly, snapping Rayla back to the task at hand, murder. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t think like that!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Rayla’s mind screamed at herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m doing what needs to be done. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She told herself as she trained the blades at the woman’s neck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Please.” The woman breathed again. Rayla glared at her, unseen by the human due to the new mask that Rayla had donned. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can do this.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Rayla told herself. Suddenly a twig snapped behind her, causing Rayla to wheel around to find a small boy emerging from the bushes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Mom?” He said groggily as the woman’s eyes widened with terror. “Callum wouldn’t let me outside.” Rayla lowered the blades from the female’s neck and took a step towards the boy. She had been right, this woman was a mother who had children whom she loved and cared for, and by the boys’ remarks, more than one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>The woman took advantage of Rayla’s sudden pause and yanked one of her blades out of her hand. Before Rayla even had time to react, the stolen blade was slicing down on her and hit her mask, causing a slight crack down her nosepiece. The strike didn’t hurt her, but the cracked mask would cause problems later, she was sure of it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>The woman began to circle her as if challenging her to a duel. Rayla accepted, she had always been fantastic at duels with Runaan and had even beaten him once.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Ezran, go find your brother and listen to whatever he says.” The woman said sternly as she continued to circle with Rayla on the opposing end. The boy raised his hand in protest but the mother spoke quicker, “Now!” And with that the child sped away and out of Rayla’s range. She was somewhat thankful really, she didn’t know if she could have brought herself to kill a child. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This angry woman on the other hand, shouldn’t be a problem at all.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Rayla said to herself as the circling between the two duelists began to close in distance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Don’t touch him.” The woman snarled as Rayla remained unspoken and continued to circle. She would have to if he came back. She prayed he didn’t though, and that someone else would do her work for her. “Do you even hear me?!” The woman said angrily. Rayla eased up a little as she gave a curt nod. “Kill me, but please don’t hurt him.” She said, this time a little more empathetic. Rayla mulled it over in her mind. After all, what threat did a small child represent against an army of elves and fire breathing dragons? </span>
  <em>
    <span>None.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>Finally, Rayla nodded as the woman gave a smile of relief. Rayla stopped circling and the woman promptly followed her actions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Will you kill me now?” The woman asked. Rayla heard an incredibly soft rustle in the tree behind her. He had been watching the whole time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>Rayla shook her head back and forth as the woman smiled and tears began to fill her eyes. She began running but quickly turned back and said, “Thank you.” She resumed running again as Rayla nodded in approval.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>Rayla turned around to face the tree, but instead found herself facing Runaan, who loomed over her, his mask gripped in his right hand, and his bow held in his left.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“You spared her?” he asked in disgust and disbelief. Rayla nodded, still remaining unspoken. “I thought I trained you better than this.” He said as he spat on Rayla’s blood covered shoes. “I now see that you are just a child.” Rayla removed her mask as she smiled up at the towering elf.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“That may be true, but this child has a plan.” Runaan scoffed in disbelief.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“And what exactly is that plan? To let that mother run back to her children?!” Rayla tapped her nose and then pointed at Runaan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Exactly.” She said as Runaan’s frown doubled in size. “She will lead us to the humans still in hiding, including her children who will never grow up to hate elves.” Runaan’s frown disappeared as quickly as it had doubled just moments ago, and was instead, replaced with a beaming smile of pride.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“This is why I chose you. Come on, there isn’t much time to lose.” He said as he jumped back into the trees. Rayla put her mask back on and followed the now masked Runaan into the branches in pursuit of the human she had spared. The half moon lit the sky in a silver frown at the carnage, betrayal, and destruction below it.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Second Slaughter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sooo... This gets kinda dark... Enjoy?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rayla’s feet hit each branch with incredible precision and speed as both her and her mentor skidded across the treetops, making little to no sound as their dark forms rushed after the next target and Rayla’s second kill.</p><p>    Darkness and despair seemed to emanate from all around the speeding elves. Crys and wails from the dying humans sounded around them in all directions, their begging and pleading seemed pathetic, especially after what they had done to the innocent creatures of Xadia. They deserved this, Rayla told herself as she and Runaan came to a stop, their legs bent and their feet rested on a tree branch as their eyes tracked the running woman whose pace had slowed to a worried jog.</p><p>    Runaan suddenly turned quickly to face Rayla. His terrifying mask was painted with light cyan and dark purple. It’s skull-like features sent chills up Rayla’s spine. The woman had entered some kind of shelter (most likely her home) and locked the door. Runaan nodded. Rayla returned the gesture and jumped down from the tree, her feet barely made a sound as her agile body fell softly to the ground.</p><p>    I have to do this, Rayla told herself as she tried to will herself to break down the door. Runaan was watching from the treetops and knowing of his presence, Rayla quickly made up her mind and kicked the door with all her might.</p><p>    “Ughh!” Rayla groaned in pain as her foot recoiled harshly from the bolstered door. While wearing the sacred mortos, (the mask) Rayla was forbidden to speak, as was any other elf wearing one. Because of this sacred law, Runaan did not speak to Rayla, but instead banged against the tree trunk just loud enough for Rayla to hear.</p><p>    Rayla turned and Runaan waved for her to step aside. Rayla obeyed and Runaan shot an arrow at the top of the door. Rayla was confused at first but then saw the small pack of sparkpowder tied to the ammunition. Runaan readied another arrow and lit it on fire before releasing his grip on it and letting it spiral in the air directly onto the pouch of sparkpowder on the other arrow.</p><p>    A loud BANG! Rattled through Rayla’s skull as she cast a dizzied glance at the smoldering remains of the door.</p><p>    She quickly shook off the dizziness with a few shakes of her head. She looked down at her arms and noticed several blazing burn marks that had corrupted her pale skin. Runaan had taken notice too and cast his tattered and worn cloak to her, still upholding the sacred ritual of silence. Rayla gave a thankful nod before readying herself to kill once more.</p><p> </p><p>    Callum rushed to his mother as she bolted through the door before quickly wheeling around to bolt it shut.</p><p>    “Mom!” Callum exclaimed in relief, his tone was frightened and panicked like a small child in a storm. The young boy rushed and embraced his mother as she too returned the hug before quickly retracting to grip his shoulders.</p><p>    “Where is Ezran?!” She asked in an equally panicked tone. Callum’s face was quickly wetted with tears.</p><p>    “He ran off to find you and Harrow.” Callum admitted somberly. “I tried to stop him but he wouldn’t listen to me!” Sarai (Callum’s mother) gave a shuddering breath as she wheeled around to face the dead bolted door. A loud thump shook the sturdy wood and Callum let out a frightened whimper.</p><p>    “Listen closely Callum.” Sarai said as Callum gazed up at her, his eyes filled with dread. “I’m going to find your brother, your father is dead and if Ezran isn’t already, he will be soon.” Callum let out another whimper. “If anything happens to me, I need you to run.” Callum shook his head, he couldn’t bear the thought of losing anyone else tonight. “Do you hear me?” Sarai asked, urgency ringing throughout her voice. “You need to run as fast as you can and don’t look back.” Callum’s tears increased as he gave a solemn nod</p><p>    “O-okay.” He said shakily. Sarai gave a worried smile and opened her mouth again.</p><p>    “I lov-...” A loud BANG! Cut off her sentence as the door and part of the wall surrounding it ignited into a massive explosion, knocking both of them backwards and into a table against the opposite wall. The structure broke from the impact enclosing Callum in the wooden debris.</p><p>    Callum tried moving the fractured pieces of wood off of him, but paused when he heard his mother whisper,</p><p>    “Stay hidden.” Callum shifted the wood a little to make his position slightly more bearable.</p><p>    “Okay.” He breathed almost silently. He could see the smoldering remains of the door from a small outlet in the wood. There appeared to be no one there.</p><p>    Sarai had taken the opportunity to grab her spear from one of the now broken wall mounts. She brandished it with determination and bravery that Callum admired. How could anyone be brave at a time like this? Still, he was incredibly thankful.</p><p>    Suddenly, a figure in a dark robe and black mask flung itself through the hole in the wall and started hammering away at his mother with two curved blades. Sarai countered each of the swings with a jab of the spear, not hitting the target, but making it off balanced. The figure seemed to be unfazed however and continued the barrage of sharp steel until finally the blades had completely severed Sarai’s weapon hand.</p><p>    Callum whimpered and gasped, there was nothing he could do. Or was there? His mother had been brave for him and now it was his turn to be brave for her.</p><p> </p><p>    The woman was an amazing fighter! Rayla had to try her very best not to be knocked off balance by the elegant movements of the woman’s spear. Rayla did a quick spin and sliced off the woman’s hand, both her flesh and weapon dropped to the ground. The mother had given a small cry of pain that was quickly replaced with a snarl of hatred. The woman kicked Rayla’s face, fracturing the crack in her mask and revealing one of her eyes. It was then that the mother was caught off guard.</p><p>    “You?” She asked as Rayla gave a baritone growl and sliced through the woman’s chest. The wooden floor beneath her was soon a deathly crimson as the mother crumpled to the floor, holding her chest in agony.</p><p>    “NO!!!” A voice yelled. Rayla quickly turned around to see a boy of about her age rising from a pile of broken wood. Rayla readied her blades again and lunged without even thinking, her battle instinct had been awakened and her bloodlust grew with every drop of blood she had spilt.</p><p>    While in midair, Rayla suddenly realised that she was attacking someone who had an entire life ahead of them. She had just slain his mother! But before Rayla could scold herself, the boy’s eyes began to glow with a bright sky blue and immediately upon seeing this, Rayla felt a huge impact as if a dragon had just laid on top of her. She looked down to find herself covered in ice from neck to toe. What?! </p><p>    The boy rubbed his eyes and started towards his dying mother, but she gave a spluttering, “Run.” efore her eyes faded and her body went limp. The boy was clearly crying, but did exactly as his mother had told him to. He stood up straight, cast a hard and deathly cold stare at Rayla, and then was gone. Runaan would not be pleased when he found her in all this ice.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I have finally returned from a long period of severe writers block (basically depression) and am now back to writing... A LOT!</p><p>I am loving writing Unforgiven so far and I really hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy making it. Chapter 4 will provide not only more insight to the future... But also a new character. Can't wait for you to meet him ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Run</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>And now we meet a new character... Hope you like him as much as I do because he will be playing a big part in this work</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Callum flung himself through the trees. Crys, screams and wails echoed throughout the town he had left behind as he wiped away a stray tear and continued to bolt through the dark woods. He just ran. He ran, and ran, and ran until he almost knocked into a tree. He quickly staggered right until he hit another tree. He stopped for a moment before looking into a clearing to find footprints that led towards the house he had been staying in. If those elves had left the woods here, then this was probably his best chance at escaping.</p><p>    He ran. Never looking back, he ran. He couldn't bear to look back. He ran. He just ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Faster than he ever thought he could run. He ran.</p><p>    Finally, the shrieks of terror from the town had died down as Callum ran out of earshot… That or there were no humans left to scream. Callum slowed his run to a jog as he noticed a shape lying in the woods directly in front of him. It was a body of some sort, most likely dead or dying. Callum cautiously walked towards it but quickly reeled back in disgust and horror. His step-father's body lay in the grass, a river of blood was still trickling from his neck and his head was nowhere to be found.</p><p>    Callum couldn't run anymore. He fell to his knees and started crying. His sobs were stifled so he could remain safe, but his heart was constantly going from his neck to his stomach, all the while yelling and screaming inside him to cry, to let loose regards for his own safety and just cry. It was a hard thing to master, but Callum had been told to do one thing, ‘run.’ and so that was what he was going to do. He picked himself up and ran faster than any human should ever run, deep into the forest. A cheer from the town behind him echoed through the woods as Callum ran. He ran for his mother and father.</p><p> </p><p>    Rayla walked into the center of town, her black cloak now streaked with dark red, and her mask was broken to reveal one of her violet eyes. Her arms were burning from the marks the explosion had left and her insides were tangled into a knot of guilt, shame, regret, and at the same time, pride, honor, and justice.</p><p>    Her emotions were all over the place. Her mind was mostly happy yet still felt some remorse for the seven humans she had slaughtered. But her heart was wailing and weeping at what she had done, yet some part of it was still glad that she had made Runaan proud.</p><p>    And Runaan beamed at her like he never had before. Despite her little mishap with the boy and the ice, Rayla had shown no hesitation in killing five more humans after she had been freed. Runaan clearly admired will power, determination and strength.</p><p>    “You are the perfect recruit Rayla,” He had said. “You have been an amazing apprentice and have now grown into a fearsome warrior. I am very proud of you.” Rayla had taken the words to heart, and they had eased her conscience for a short time, but as the elves cheered after the destruction had been complete, the guilt returned and nestled deeper into Rayla’s being.</p><p>    Rayla removed the mask and sat it on a stone bench beside her. She sat down and buried her face in her hands as she began to let out small sobs. She didn’t know exactly how long she had been crying, but it had only felt like a minute before she lifted her head to find Runaan standing in front of her. She jumped back and grabbed her blades before realising who it was and she relaxed again.</p><p>    “Why are you so sad?” Runaan queeried. He hadn’t even flinched when Rayla had poised herself to strike.</p><p>    “I don’t know.” Rayla admitted. She was tied to two different beliefs and both halves of her were at war with each other. “I just feel… weird.” She said. Runaan sat beside her.</p><p>    “I know that you’ve never taken a life until tonight.” He began, his tone was consoling. “But you’ve done the right thing.” Half of Rayla brightened while the other half darkened. She was still divided. “It can be a hard thing to do. I know that.” Runaan continued as he placed a four fingered hand on Rayla’s shoulder. Finally the two halves of her began to mix.</p><p>    “It was hard.” She admitted. Runaan gave her a pat on the shoulder.</p><p>    “But you did it for the better of the world.” Despite what she had been told of humans, a part of Rayla still didn’t believe that they should have been massacred like this. But thousands of elves couldn’t be wrong… could they?</p><p>    “I know.” She said, her body relaxing as she finally chose her side. “I did it for Xadia. Runaan removed his hand from her shoulder and stared into the forest.</p><p>    “I remember when I first took a life.” he said. “I was in a very similar state that you’re in now. And it took some time for me to admit that I had done the right thing.” Rayla was comforted by the fact that she wasn’t the first one to question all of this. “But you have seemingly willed yourself back to normal.” Runaan continued as he took his eyes off of the forest and returned them to her. There were still slight traces of dried blood on her face. “You are an amazing person Rayla. And you are ready to be a Venator.”</p><p>    Rayla was a little confused by what a Venator meant, but she assumed that that was the name of Runaan’s division of elves that mirrored the Dragonguard. Her inner turmoil seemed to vanish faster than water to a fire as elation took its place.</p><p>    “Do ya really think I’m ready?” She asked, her voice resonated with joy. Such a polar opposite to what she had felt moments before.</p><p>    “You are ready.” He said.</p><p>    Rayla was about to jump on him and embrace him while repeating, “thank you, thank you, thank you!” when something in the distance caught her eye. It was a strange quadruped with an elongated head that made an almost L like shape with it’s strange neck. She couldn’t see the creature’s eyes but she could make out the distinct off white coloring of its many teeth. The creature seemed interested in a butchered human carcass. It’s long, whiplike tail flailed happily as it began to consume the carnage. As Rayla watched it eat, she noticed that the creature’s limbs were very scrawny but sharp. It’s chest seemed to curve in an almost human sort of way, despite the creature’s strange neck.</p><p>    Runaan had noticed that Rayla was distracted and turned to face the hideous creature that continued to gorge itself in the gore.</p><p>    “Wha’ is that?” Rayla asked, her curiosity rising as she watched the otherworldly being. Somehow she felt pulled toward it like a moth to a light. Runaan stuck his hand out to stop Rayla’s involuntary response to move closer. The expression on his face was dread.</p><p>    “That is an Orchaeoch.” he said as Rayla finally took her eyes off the alien like marvel. She glanced up at Runaan, her face scrunched in bewilderment.</p><p>    “A what now?” Runaan looked down at Rayla.</p><p>    “An Orchaeoch.” He repeated as he returned his attention to the beast that was now looking directly at them. The creature’s smooth face held no eyes or a clear nose of any kind. How did it see? Rayla wondered. “Orchaeochs are friendly to very few and deadly to everyone else.” Runaan said as he began the lecture. “I should have thought they would come to the scene of such bloodshed. They are carnivorous and are attracted by the scent of spilled blood. How could I miss that?!” Runaan seemed to be talking more and more to himself as he continued on. “I need to tell the others to get out of here right away. Any humans that might have escaped will definitely be tracked down by that thing.” Runaan cast a hateful glance at the beast who had returned its attention to the meal. “Come one Rayla.”</p><p>    Rayla followed closely behind and watched the creature. Why she felt it, she couldn’t understand, but there was something about that creature that Rayla knew she needed to find out. But what was it? And why was it not attacking them yet? It was with this thought that Rayla realised that she had lost one of her blades. But there was no time, by the looks of the carcass that was now nearly all bones, the elves didn’t have much time to lose.</p><p>    “Come Rayla.” Runaan said again as Rayla quickly diverted her attention from the beast and back to her mentor. “Run.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If anyone is still having trouble trying to imagine what an Orchaeoch looks like, they look a lot like a Xenomorph only the neck attaches to the weird elongated head. And they walk on four legs.</p><p>Orchaeochs are my personal creation and they will often be used in a lot of my works... Just for future reference ;)</p><p>Hopr you are enjoying so far!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Hello Darkness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What felt a lifetime had only been two days. But the world can change in the blink of an eye...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The Dragon Prince has been renewed for 4 MORE SEASONS!!! </p><p>Someone break out the Jelly tarts, this calls for a celebration!!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Two full days had passed since the slaughter of humankind and Rayla’s stomach was worked up yet again. She had returned to the Silvergrove a hero, as did all of the other Moonshadow elves who had fought in the purge. As a census was taken, it was discovered that only two Moonshadow elves had died during the slaughter. One of which, Rayla had witnessed firsthand.</p><p>    The loss of Runaan was a terrible tragedy, not just to the elves, but to Rayla as well. The Orchaeoch they had seen two nights ago had been alerted by their running and had tracked them back to their dragon mount.</p><p>    Runaan, being as selfless as usual, made sure that he was the last one to get on the dragon, but as he was jumping up, the Orchaeoch had grabbed hold of his leg and devoured him on the spot in a matter of seconds. Rayla had never witnessed such a horrendous killing. The screams of her mentor would still echo through her mind when she least expected them to. Ethari was equally heartbroken at the loss of Runaan.</p><p>    The other elf had apparently died while besieging the castle of Katolis. He had successfully infiltrated the stronghold in pursuit of the king and queen but had failed to find them. It was the next day that Rayla had discovered that she had been the one to slay both of them. What they had been doing in a measly old cottage she didn’t know, but her first and second kill had been the king and queen, and Rayla was a hero in the eyes of her village and all of the elves for it.</p><p>    She loved being a hero and a savior of Xadia, but she still couldn’t understand why when she thought of killing her gut would wrench and convulse in the most unpleasant way. Maybe it was the thought of her fallen mentor that same night? Whether it was true or not, that is what she chose to believe.</p><p>    With Runaan gone, the Venators were without a leader. That is until Aaravos stepped up to take Runaan’s place. He was a much different kind of leader than what Rayla was used to, but he was still a very ingenuitive authority and was very, very determined to follow through with Runaan’s plan, which seemed a surprise to everyone.</p><p>    Rayla had fulfilled the destiny that Runaan had set before her. She had become a Venator, or what many called a hunter of humans, and had received her new title that would make other elves salute when they were in her presence. Rayla found the last bit to be a little over the top, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. She had also received a new weapon! A Koseph sword that could split into two single handed weapons. She was now Venator Rayla to everyone who wished to address her. She was a legend.</p><p> </p><p>    Callum had had a hard time adjusting to the new world which he now inhabited. He was the only human he ever saw. He couldn’t talk to anyone besides the creatures in the forest (which still wasn’t really a conversation) and the trees and rocks. He was starving, not only for food, but for companionship. He found himself talking to himself more and he couldn’t seem to draw anything the way he used to. His hands were always shaking causing his lines on paper to become unrecognizable squiggles.</p><p>    It had been two days since he had run from his kingdom. His mother and step-father had been killed and Ezran was nowhere to be found. Callum had come to the unbearable reality that he was the only one alive in his family. Maybe even the only human left alive!</p><p>    Finally he was ready to go back to the town and look for food. If he didn’t eat something soon, he would starve to death.</p><p>    “Just get in and get out.” Callum told himself. “Maybe there’s some bread or something at the castle.” Callum picked up his knap-sack, dried his sweat with his red scarf and headed back to Katolis.</p><p>    He made sure to avoid the corpse of his stepfather by taking a different route to the castle. One much farther to the left. With that thought in mind, Callum’s stomach tensed and knotted itself into a ball. If he saw so much as one bloody body, he would turn tail and starve in the forest. That would be better than the misery of reality, he thought.</p><p>    While on his way to the kingdom, Callum came across a pile of bones. “Ew!” He exclaimed as he examined them further. There was something about them that didn’t seem human. Upon further examination, Callum realised that the bones had belonged to an elf! He quickly backed away from them. Why? He had no idea. It just happened instinctually. But if he felt this okay around elf bones, then he just might be able to make it to the castle, even if it was littered with human bones.</p><p> </p><p>    “Rayla.” A soft voice said. Rayla had been asleep and immediately jumped into the air, ready to strike at whoever had spoken. Aaravos was standing on the edge of the bed. Rayla eased as she realised who it was.</p><p>    “Sorry.” She said as she rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. Aaravos raised one of his hands.</p><p>    “No trouble.” He said calmly. “I admire that you are alert even in slumber.” Aaravos beckoned for her to exit the room as he walked out and into the hallway. Rayla followed suit. “I know that you have only had a two day recess from your duties, but we need you again.” Rayla felt good about being wanted.</p><p>    “Yeah. No problem.” She said, following Aaravos out into the forest that housed her wonderful village, the Silvergrove. The Starwake elf paused and turned towards her, his facing looking serious.</p><p>    “We have reports of smoke coming from the ruins of Katolis.” Rayla felt a pang as she remembered the horrid sight she had seen there. Runaan being butchered by a strange creature was a sight that she wished she could forget. “Your mission is to find the origin of these fires and extinguish them, along with their makers.”</p><p>    Rayla nodded, trying her best not to show her terror. Aaravos hadn’t noticed and continued relaying the mission to her.</p><p>    “You will be flown to the scene by one of the other members of the Venators. I expect you two to get along while traveling.” Rayla nodded. “You will be given a deadline of three days to eradicate the refugees, when the time is up, your travel friend will pick you up. Any questions Venator?”</p><p>    “Just one.” Rayla began. “Do I have to share the ride?” Aaravos maintained his serious demeanor, did he ever smile? </p><p>    “Unless you plan on finding a ride of your own that is equally efficient.” Rayla tried to think but Aaravos still hadn’t finished. “You will leave in one hour. I suggest getting prepared.”</p><p> </p><p>    Callum had made it into the castle without convulsing on the ground in terror at the white carcasses that were strewn about the terrain. He had found a long (and heavy) broadsword among the wreckage that he carried with him in case he was attacked. (Not that it would do much good, Callum was terrible at swordplay of any kind.)</p><p>    The castle that was normally bustling with activity was now as silent as the grave. There was no noise except for the occasional chirping of a bird and the wind whistling through the trees beyond the castle walls. Callum had made it this far, surely he could brave the castle if he could handle the thousands of bones that littered the outskirts of the village. He took a brave step forward when… KRACK! He stepped onto a small pile of bones surrounded by several rusty metal sheets.</p><p>    “Eeuuughh! Get it off! Get it off!” Callum yelled as he kicked off a particularly large metal sheet from the decay. The chestplate hit the ground a few feet away, landing face up to reveal the crownguard symbol of Katolis. These were Soren’s bones.</p><p>    Callum hadn’t been too fond of Soren, but he had still been a friend and that made the sight all the more unbearable. Callum rushed into the throne room as fast as possible to discover the room shrouded in darkness unlike it’s normal, majestic looking interior. The only light came from small fragments that made its way through the bloodstained windows. In the center of the great hall was a massive pile of bones. They had been gathered there as a waste bin for some ravenous beast.</p><p>    The prince shuddered as he attempted to back out of the room. But something compelled him to stay. What it was, he didn’t know, but he felt as if he was being drawn to the hulking mass of stripped corpses. Something seemed familiar about the strange feeling that had taken hold of him. It was some sort of mix between intense curiosity, and the feeling of being watched. Suddenly, Callum noticed something move in the darkness behind the bones.</p><p>    “W-who’s there?” Callum asked, his voice and body were trembling with terror. A snickering snarling noise answered his call, it was quiet and horrifying. Callum spun in the direction of the hellish sound and found a strange looking shape. The smooth black skin seemed to be a part of one long eyeless head. The head’s mouth was filled with sharp bloodstained teeth.</p><p>    “Oh, no.” Callum whimpered.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>With the reveal of 4 more seasons, my love for this series continues to grow. If you havent heard about the continuation of this series yet, click the link below to see the cast of TDP's reaction to the continuation.</p><p>Im still flipping out about it!</p><p>https://youtu.be/QYFNRiVfSSA</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. An Eyeless View</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Orchaeochs are very rare creatures that connect to the Star arcanum. They are very rare and very protective. Their only purpose is to protect the light that resides within us. Or in some cases, extinguish the darkness within the hearts of the merciless.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
  <span>What a glorious day it was. Thousands upon thousands of carcasses laid throughout the streets of the rocky fortress. The elves had done all the work, all that was left was to clean up their mess which the Orchaeoch did happily. The crunching of bones resonated throughout his sensitive skull, sending chills of pleasure down his jagged spine to the tip of his barbed tail.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>The Orchaeoch was alone in this pleasure. Very few of his kind existed in this strange world and the very few were scattered far across the land. He was the only creature to enjoy the carnage that the fortress presented. The only thing surrounding him was a feast of flesh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>The Orchaeoch headed inside the stone structure, setting up a den where he would store his valuables whenever he had found some. He didn’t know why, but whenever he found something, whether it was living or an object, that was filled with some sort of power, he would be drawn to it. The light that was within it pleased him and attracted him to it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>He had felt this attraction when he had first caught wind of his upcoming feast. The night was cold and there had been harsh wails and screams that were soon followed by the glorious sweet stench of blood. He had come to the banquet ready to feast. He had just slammed himself into a juicy carcass when suddenly he felt drawn somewhere. He had lifted his head to find an elf with a very large amount of light, hidden under a faint mist of darkness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>He had wanted to run to her and carry her off to be his trophy, but standing next to her was another elf whose darkness was so intense that it seemed to split the Orchaeoch’s mind in two. He would have to destroy the dark if he wanted to attain the light. That was his way, the way of all Orchaeochs, they were protectors of light and destroyers of darkness. This was their nature.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>The Orchaeoch had spent the remainder of his time tracking the running elves through the woods until finally he saw his chance. The one with darkness in his heart remained on the surface while the others had climbed atop a large scaly creature the likes of which the Orchaeoch had never sensed. For a moment, the beast saw a flicker of light in the darkness of the elf, but that didn’t change his mission. He pounced and dragged the elf down as the scaly creature soared into the air. His meat was tainted with darkness but the Orchaeoch was hungry and enraged at the presence of the darkness. He devoured the elf on the spot in a matter of seconds, not wishing to savor any part of his horrid flesh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>It wasn’t until after his kill that he had realised that he had let the one with light escape. How he had snarled with anger when that had happened. He had let his soul purpose escape completely!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>It wasn’t all bad news though, he still had mounds upon mounds of corpses left to snack on. He hadn’t even explored the recesses of his new den yet. Who knew what sort of treasures it would hold!</span>
</p><p>
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  <span>Disgusting! More darkness!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>It had only been one day since the Orchaeoch’s arrival at his new den and he had already had such an unpleasant reminder of the darkness he was programmed to destroy. He had found a small room deep within the catacombs of the fortress where darkness seemed to seep from the very walls! Everywhere he sensed, there was nothing but black and cold.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>The creature had snarled and swung his whip-like tail, knocking over canisters of vile things he didn’t even know existed! He flailed and clawed and teethed and gnawed at the room until finally he gave up and ran from the dungeon. The only thing that was untouched by the dark was an empty pedestal in the center of the room. The Orchaeoch was puzzled by this, but his senses were overrun with the bitterness of death that he turned tail and rushed out. He would destroy that place later.</span>
</p><p>
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  <span>The second day in his new den, the Orchaeoch had sensed the arrival of something new, alive and alone. He had been trying to eliminate the darkness in the strange room from before when he had sensed it. Quickly he retreated to the main room of his den. When he arrived, the being had come much closer and was making its way into his den! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not like invaders… Protect den!</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>The Orchaeoch hid itself in the darkness as he waited for the perfect moment to pounce. The invader was glowing with fear and a mix of so many emotions that the Orchaeoch couldn’t process all of them. He couldn’t even tell if the human was emitting light or darkness! It didn’t matter though, the human had trespassed into his den, and the Orchaeoch would eat well again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>The creature slowly lurked towards the human, being sure to stay hidden amongst the shadows. Suddenly the human became alert.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>“Who’s there?” The Orchaeoch snarled and rolled his voice to create an almost snickering effect that made his prey freeze in fear. Perfect, now to reveal and eat. Suddenly the human spun around and the Orchaeoch was flooded with a rising sense of… </span>
  <em>
    <span>LIGHT?!</span>
  </em>
  <span> The elf wasn’t his last chance to fulfill his destiny, this human was! And he was sure to never let this human out of his senses again.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I love Orchaeoch so much! Comment below if I should make a sketch of one and post it, or if I should just let your imaginations fill in the gaps.</p><p>Hope you are enjoying the story thus far!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Are We There Yet?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This is a much more light hearted filler chapter that's purpose is to take up some time so that Rayla can arrive in Katolis in an accurate (or at least close to accurate) time frame.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Venator (A Sunfire elf) had arrived later than Rayla had expected. She also hadn’t expected him to be riding a Manticore! While surprised she was, she was grateful for the extra time of preparation, not just physical, but also mental. She had been a complete wreck of this way or that, mercy or justice, life or death.</p><p>    After she had had a good while of contemplation, she had finally decided her place. Rayla was an assassin of the highest order. She was one of the strongest and most respected warriors in Xadia and she hated humans. Runaan had set her destiny before her and she was finally ready to seize it. Her first mission of her new life was just mere moments away. Today she was a different person, and her tormented mind thanked her for choosing a side.</p><p>    “We’re ready to go.” The Manticore riding elf snapped Rayla away from her thoughts.</p><p>    “Huh?... oh yeah! Just a sec.” She jumped up behind the elf and sat down on the saddle that was strapped to the beautiful creature’s back.</p><p>    “Ever ridden a Manticore before?” The elf asked. He had dark skin and yellow markings that slid across his face. His eyes were a ruby red and he seemed to be about Rayla’s age. Rayla shook her head.</p><p>    “No. It's a lot more cramped than a dragon.” The Sunfire elf snickered.</p><p>    “It's easier to fall off too. You might want to hang on to something…” Rayla looked for a grip on the saddle or a bar or something to cling to, but there was nothing!</p><p>    “I don’ see any-...”</p><p>    “Here we go!” The elf said happily as Rayla grabbed his waist for support. The Manticore jumped into the sky and began blazing through the air at lightning speed. The Sunfire elf grinned wildly as Rayla had her arms wrapped around his waist. Finally the Manticore slowed and began drifting with the flow of the wind.</p><p>    “Don’ ever do that again.” Rayla grumbled as she released her hands from the pilot. The elf grinned happily.</p><p>    “Whatever you say, Moonshade.” The elf gave another grin before returning his attention to the sky.</p><p>    “My name is Rayla.” She said grumpily.</p><p>    “Cool… didn’t know I was on a first name basis.” Rayla was getting very annoyed at this ‘sly’ elf already. They hadn’t even known each other for two minutes and he was already trying to flirt?! The nerve of the little…</p><p>    “We aren’t on a first name basis.” Rayla growled as she glowered at the pilot. “You must call me Venator Rayla just like everyone else.” The pilot smirked and turned his head to cast another devious glance at her.</p><p>    “Sorry Moonshade, but I don’t have to call you squat.” Rayla was nearly to the point of boiling over. “I’m a Venator too. Venator Ceggis to be exact. I can call you by whatever name I see fit.” Rayla saw an opportunity here and seized it.</p><p>    “So I guess that means I can call you whatever then too, huh Cegg nog?” Despite the insult, Ceggis seemed unfazed, if not happier than he originally was. Oh no! Had Rayla just fallen into a trap?!</p><p>    “Absolutely little Moonshade.” Ceggis began, his voice full of cocky attitude. “Nicknames between a couple are so cute.” Rayla’s cheeks turned a bright red.</p><p>    “We are not a couple!” Rayla screamed. The Manticore gave a low growl at the sudden noise. Ceggis began stroking it’s soft fur.</p><p>    “That’s the first stage of any relationship, denial.” His sing-song voice was making Rayla angry. “Followed closely by…”</p><p> </p><p>    “You son of a worm feeding, mollusk eatin’, poop scoopin’ jerk! WE ARE NOT A COUPLE!!! I hardly even know ya!”</p><p>    “Insults! Wow it’s like you can read my mind. We must really be soul mates.” Rayla gave a scream of irritation. She had been under so much stress and now she had to deal with this?! Why did the universe hate her so much?!</p><p>    “Fine! I just won’t speak!” Rayla hoped and prayed that this wouldn’t be a part of the lunatic elf’s made up signs.</p><p>    “A yes contemplation. You are entering stage three.” Another annoyed scream</p><p>    “Stop worryin’ about me entering stages and worry about you enterin’ Katolis… alrigh’?!” The elf grinned and Rayla slapped herself in the face. “Don’ say it.”</p><p>    “Stage four.”</p><p>    “AAAAGHH!!!”</p><p>    “Distraction.”</p><p>    “Are we there yet?!?!” Rayla yelled, half asking, half relieving all of the annoying garbage this arrogant idiot was throwing on her.</p><p>    “What’s the problem Moonshade?” Ceggis asked sarcastically.</p><p>    “You are.” Rayla replied coldly. Her words still took no effect on the arrogant brat driving her insane.</p><p>    “You’re not enjoying our romantic flight?” Rayla seethed at the word, ‘romantic.’</p><p>    “This isn’t a romantic flight Ceggis!” Ceggis grinned.</p><p>    “That’s cause you aren’t holding onto me. Here I’ll help.” Suddenly the Manticore skyrocketed upward causing Rayla to do exactly what Ceggis wanted, or fall to her death. She had considered the latter, but she had a job to do. Despite every fiber of her being to do so, she gripped Ceggis as the Manticore slowed yet again. Rayla quickly released her hold.</p><p>    “Stage five.” Ceggis began. “Acceptance.” Rayla couldn’t take it anymore. She curled her fist into a ball and hammered it against the back of Ceggis’ head. “OW!!!” Ceggis wailed. Rayla grinned.</p><p>    “Ya know, the more ya talk like that, the more I realise that I do love something.” Ceggis stopped rubbing his head and looked at Rayla happily.</p><p>    “Really?!”</p><p>    “Yeah.” She hit him again, a little softer this time but still made him hurt. “The feeling of my knuckles against yer skull.”</p><p>    “Ow!” Ceggis exclaimed as Rayla laded another blow. “Are we there yet?!” He yelled. Rayla smiled happily for the first time the entire flight.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ceggis will return</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Chase</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I guess this chapter could have been called "Run 2" to mimic chapter four, but it just doesn't seem to feel so dramatic... Oh well... Hope you enjoy!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Callum’s breath had left his lungs. A silent scream tried desperately to escape his clammy lips, but no sound was made other than his shuddering breath. The creature came closer, as if he seemed curious of Callum’s next move. The prince’s panicked mind was all aflutter. He could run, but perhaps the beast liked to chase its prey. He thought about standing still, but then again the creature could pounce at any moment. The creature began moving again, distracting Callum from his thoughts.</p><p>    A part of the creature’s head lifted from its smooth surface and rose in a spike like quill that went up and down repeatedly. The same motion was copied on the creature’s neck and what little part of it’s back that was visible. Callum had absolutely no idea what it was doing but he didn’t want to stick around to find out.</p><p>    Callum bolted out of the room the way he had come as the creature behind him gave a blood curdling screech. It sounded very similar to a human scream mixed with a Banther growl. Callum shuddered as he continued running with the same speed he had used when he had escaped from the village the first time.</p><p>    “Just keep running Callum.” He told himself, his voice wavering in terror as he cast a glance back to find that the creature was indeed pursuing him. “Run like mom said to.”</p><p> </p><p>    “Finally!” Rayla exclaimed as the Manticore touched down at the entrance to the village. The castle was not far from there. “We made it.” Rayla hopped off the beautiful creature and onto the dirt road. Ceggis remained on board rubbing the back of his bruised skull.</p><p>    “Glad to be of service.” He said bombastically. “I’ll be back in three days. Meet up here again when the sun sets… It’ll be more romantic that way.” Rayla frowned before turning towards the annoying elf with a false smile on her face.</p><p>    “Sounds lovely.” She said in mock happiness, she quickly dropped the impersonation and returned to her sour mood towards the brat. “I’ll be sure to find a bludgeon while I’m here.” Ceggis laughed nervously before flying the Manticore, letting it hover in the air. Suddenly a terrifying screech pierced the air and Ceggis’ Manticore whined in fear. Rayla shuddered. Was that the Orchaeoch?!</p><p>    “Sounds like you’ll have a blast Moonshade.” Ceggis said as he began soaring away. “See you soon… Or maybe not!” Rayla would have frowned but she was too distracted on the shriek that seemed to rattle the very sky itself. There was no longer a shadow of a doubt in her mind, the Orchaeoch was still here and by the sound of it, he was ready to kill.</p><p> </p><p>    No! No! NO!!! The Luminous human turned tail and ran, the Orchaeoch had been hunting him at first, but that was before he had seen his light! The poor human must have misunderstood, and that left the Orchaeoch without a purpose. He had nothing to guard and nothing to cherish now that the first source of light he’d seen in days had rushed away.</p><p>    The Orchaeoch screamed in frustration. No, he wouldn’t let his purpose run from him. His destiny was intertwined with the Orchaeoch’s now and the Orchaeoch wouldn’t give him up without a fight.</p><p>The creature sprung into action and began pursuing the human with the utmost haste. He had no intention of killing the human, he only wanted to protect him like he was supposed to… and maybe lick him. Light had the most splendid taste when on living skin.</p><p>The human was surprisingly fast for a bi-ped. It tried jumping over logs and dodging between trees to try and shake him. But the Orchaeoch was persistent. He would fulfill his purpose, even if it meant having to temporarily harm his target.</p><p>The human dashed onto a long cliff with rails that crossed over to a place where many shelters were housed. He tried tipping over strange things with circle feet trying to block the Orchaeoch’s path. It was all in vain, the Orchaeoch quickly climbed and grappled his long limbs over or around the debris with ease.</p><p>As the Orchaeoch gained ground, the senses of light grew stronger and stronger. The human was practically emanating light. The Orchaeoch let his long purple tongue hang from his mouth as he took in the presence. Suddenly he paused for a moment, he sensed something else near by. Something familiar. He sensed his surroundings and discovered that off in the distance stood the elf. The same that had so much potential of light, only this time her mask of darkness had taken route and her heart was as black as coal. The Orchaeoch snarled as he resumed his chase which now had a second purpose… Must KILL darkness. Must protect light.</p><p> </p><p>Callum ran and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. The terrifying creature was gaining ground and Callum was getting extremely tired. The fleeing prince tried everything he could think of to shake the creepy beast that was pursuing him. He jumped over logs, dodged between trees and even tipped over the carts on the castle bridge! But nothing he did seemed to hinder the dreaded demon.</p><p>“How fast is this thing?!” Callum yelled to himself. His voice was filled with terror as thoughts of being devoured flashed through his mind. He quickly shook them off for fear he would hesitate and the images would become a reality. “Just keep running Callum.” He told himself as he quickened his pace.</p><p>He chanced a glance behind him to find that the beast had slowed. “Finally!” Now he could escape! Victory was his! He would live to see another sunrise!</p><p>A growl of hatred emitted from the creature behind Callum, interrupting him from his premature celebration. The beast was running again with renewed purpose and speed. The four legged murderer was even faster than before!</p><p>“Oh great!” Callum said to himself, his tone was still filled entirely with fear. He had just taken a sharp turn into the village. “Now I’m…” Callum cut himself off as he noticed a far off figure. It stood on two legs and held itself just like… “A human!” Callum’s elation was short lived as another growl that sounded a lot like a, kill, kill! Emitted from the beast behind. Callum had to warn the human in his path of the oncoming danger, even if it meant sacrificing himself to the demon pursuing them. That’s what his mother had done for him, now he would do the same.</p><p> </p><p>Rayla didn’t dare move. The sound had come from the castle, so she assumed that any human with at least half of a brain cell would stay far away from the fortress. Whatever the Orchaeoch was chasing, it likely wouldn’t survive, human or not human.</p><p>With that in mind, Rayla turned her direction to the village. Perhaps some of the humans had taken refuge among the half burnt houses. She turned down a row of houses and peeked inside each of them, looking for any sort of life.</p><p>She had only checked about four houses when a feeling crept over her. It felt cold and creepy as if something inside of her was shivering in terror. The feeling felt almost the exact opposite of what she had felt when she had seen… “The Orchaeoch?!” She exclaimed as she drew her new blades. The curved edge of the Kosephs glinted in the light of the sun.</p><p>The castle was hidden by several rooftops and there was no way that the Orchaeoch could have made it all the way into the village yet… could it?</p><p>Rayla’s pointed ears twitched as she heard a faint noise that sounded almost like a voice. She turned in the direction of the sound to see a vague figure rushing towards her from the opposite end of the village.</p><p>“A human? Why would he be running at me? Is he just gonna accept his death?” Rayla asked as the figure came nearer and his voice could be heard much easier.</p><p>“RUN!!!” The human screamed as Rayla looked behind him. The human was being chased by a large, skeletal, black, four legged creature that gave a snarl of pure hate that sounded very similar to a, die, DIE!!! The Orchaeoch had returned.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Finally all of the characters have seen each other. This is where the story will take off. But what are the Orchaeoch's intentions? What will he do to the light and darkness? And how on earth is Rayllum gonna happen?!?! The answers are to come in the next few chapters. Stay tuned!... (And I guess you could share your predictions, lol)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Run Faster!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Greetin's fella humans!</p><p>I may not be posting as much and as often as I used to (but youve probably figured that out all ready)</p><p>I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause...</p><p>Yes, I will still be posting stuff tho</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“RUN!!!” Callum yelled as he continued his sprint, the Orchaeoch following close behind. The humanoid figure in the distance immediately turned tail and ran faster than Callum could ever dream of running. Whoever the figure was, it had amazing athletic ability, unlike Callum’s weary legs.</p><p>    The Orchaeoch snarled hideously as it continued running, its deathly cold breath was practically flowing down Callum’s neck and chilling his ears and soul with dread and death. Callum was out of time, there was nothing he could do now to escape from the beast’s maw. His fate was sealed… unless.</p><p>    Callum bolted to the side spontaneously and the beast tripped over himself as he tried to pursue his victim. The Orchaeoch landed on the side of a cottage that quickly collapsed with the impact. The beast snarled and whimpered in pain as the wall crumbled atop of him, sealing him inside the tomb of rubble. Callum stood still for a moment as he let the scene sink in.</p><p>    “Yes!” He finally yelled. “I-I did it! I got rid of him! YES!!!” He screamed joyously. “Did anybody see that?!” He called out to no one in particular. To his surprise a voice answered him.</p><p>    “Yeah. Tha’ wasn’t too bad.” The figure was perched on a rooftop, her hood covering the sides and top of her head. She was wearing a black and green suit and she jumped down with astounding agility. It was the human Callum had warned before, and boy was she beautiful, well… at least what Callum could see of her. His opinion was quickly changed as she removed her hood revealing her horns and pointed ears. She clasped two curved swords in her hands and poised herself for battle. “For a human tha’ is.” Callum staggered back in terror at the sight of the demonic being.</p><p>    “Y-you’re one of them.” He stammered as the figure stepped forward, smiling sinisterly.</p><p> </p><p>    Rayla smirked. “Oh ya don’ like my ears?” She asked bombastically as she took a step towards the receding human, almost paralysed with fear. The boy was around her age with sloppy hair and he wore a red scarf that hung above his blue jacket.</p><p>    “I was trying to say… the pointy… uh… swords.” The boy exclaimed the last part as Rayla flung the blades down for dramatic effect.</p><p>    “Thats far enough!” Rayla exclaimed as she pointed a blade at the fleeing human. The boy stopped moving as Rayla took another step closer. “Any last words before I do this?” The boy gulped.</p><p>    “You mean kill me?” He mumbled. Rayla took another step closer.</p><p>    “Yes. Kill you.” She said as her adrenaline began rushing through her body as it did each time before a kill. The tension of it all was invigorating.</p><p>    “Why?” the boy asked, his voice cracking with fear.</p><p>    “Justice.” Rayla answered, taking another step forward. “Humans are vile creatures that only bring death and destruction.”</p><p>    “What?!” The boy exclaimed as he stood up, he seemed to have forgotten about his perilous situation for the moment. “The elves are the ones who wiped us out! They killed my entire kingdom! My parents! I have nothing left and here you are telling me that WE are the evil ones?!?!” Rayla paused for a moment. The boy’s words held truth, but how could he possibly understand he was a-</p><p>    “Human! Listen carefully!” Rayla began, willing herself forward and not thinking back about her former conflict with her actions. “You can’t help me decide anythin’!” Her tone rose with anger as she took a couple steps forwards and the human shrunk back in fear. “I am a Venator! And you are my first kill!” The boy shuddered. “We can do this the easy way, or the hard way.”</p><p>    “Do any involve me living?” The boy asked snarkily. Rayla’s brow furrowed.</p><p>    “No.” She stated adamantly as she stepped closer to him.</p><p>    “Can we at least talk about this?!” The boy yelled in fear as he crept away from Rayla as she unrelentlessly advanced on him. Rayla didn’t respond and suddenly the boy bolted behind her towards the rubble he had created.</p><p>    “You’re only makin’ this worse!” Rayla snarled as she tracked the boy’s motions. The boy had picked up a rock.</p><p>    “Worse?! I don’t see how that’s possible!” He threw the rock directly at Rayla’s face. Luckily, she dodged in just enough time to have the rock only graze her cheek. She grunted in slight pain before springing into the air and readying her swords for the kill below her.</p><p>    The boy watched her fly as he stuck out his hands and turned his head in terror.</p><p>    “NO!” He yelled as a strange blue mist came from his hands. Suddenly the boy opened his eyes and frowned maliciously as he shot the mist with more intensity. His eyes were glowing a bright sky blue and the mist quickly turned to ice that enveloped Rayla’s body in it’s jagged, frigid grip.</p><p>    Rayla was confused, scared, and at a loss for words. She had just been frozen in ice AGAIN! This was that same boy that she had watched run, and somehow, he could use magic! At first, she had thought that he had unbeknownst to her, performed a dark magic spell that froze her, but now she could see that he was using PRIMAL MAGIC! Her wonder was quickly replaced with terror as the pile of rubble behind the intriguing human snarled and began shifting as a black shape began to rise from it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And so the two end finally meet for the first time!</p><p>I hope you guys like this work so far and I'll be sure to keep at it while also doing a bunch of school&amp;work stuff</p><p>Until I post again, what is one thing that you guys would like to see me write? It can be a suggestion for this work, a different work, or something new! Let me know in the comments!</p><p>Signed, Porg_Master (火龙)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Dark and the Light</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>CRASH! The wall crumbled atop the confused Orchaeoch inn a flash of pain and bewilderment. The human had swerved just out of his reach! He was gone again!</p><p>    The Orchaeoch snarled and whimpered as the cottage he had been flung into collapsed atop him. The pain was only brief and the Orchaeoch only needed but a minute to recuperate. The human was still beyond the rubble, as was that elf.</p><p>    Ah yes, the Orchaeoch remembered her well. She had been so full of potential, and yet still she had been corrupted by darkness. While she had once been something to collect, she was now something that gave the Orchaeoch an uncontrollable desire to do nothing but-</p><p>    “Kill, kill!” The Orchaeoch chirped demonically as it slowly began to rise from its tomb of debris.</p><p>    The human was emitting light when the Orchaeoch surfaced, but something about it was different… the light was brighter, stronger and beautiful! It was the most perfect light the Orchaeoch had ever sensed before! It was mouthwatering! The Orchaeoch could hardly think straight as his senses were overrun by the delectable and amazing sense! Blue sparks began to fly from the Orchaeoch’s skin as his joy overflowed. And just when things couldn’t possibly get any better, they did!</p><p>    The darkness in the elf seemed to vanish as her pain receptors went off and a realization seemed to strike her. The darkness vanished almost completely and the Orchaeoch gave a happy whine as fear suddenly took the place of the elf’s returning light. Disappointed at the sudden drawback of pleasure, the Orchaeoch was nonetheless relieved, for the elf could still be changed, but he would need this human to help.</p><p> </p><p>    Callum had lost control of his body. His arms were moving beyond his will and driving the line of ice forwards, ensnaring the elf in its grip. He could barely see, but he could plainly make out the victim of his wrath.</p><p>    The elf’s face was shocked and confused, almost as much as Callum himself was. But soon her expression morphed to terror and fright and Callum suddenly regained control of himself. This elf had feelings, a life and a soul just like he did. She may not have been a human, but she was still a person and therefore, Callum couldn’t bring himself to kill her.</p><p>    Callum slumped to his knees as the elf remained hanging in his spikes of ice. Her face was still colder than his snare as she lifted her hand slightly to shakily point behind the winded prince.</p><p>    Callum followed her hand to find that the Orchaeoch was standing behind him. Parts of his death black body were glowing a dark shade of blue and lightning was sparking from his skin to touch the ground and debris he was standing in. The beast’s maw was agape, letting his long, purple, serpentine tongue hang from it like a panting dog. His terrible white teeth were coated with dried blood and the odor was putrid in every sense imaginable. The creature’s quills were flailing up and down wildly and it snarled. Oh how it snarled and sent thousands upon thousands of different types of chills up the prince’s spine.</p><p>    “Oh…” Callum breathed helplessly as the beast jumped forward. Callum dove out of the way and the beast spun around to face him. The elf was still trapped in the ice as the Orchaeoch’s tail whipped her face and her head dropped as her eyes closed and she no longer moved.</p><p>    “Oh no, no, no, no.” Callum gasped as he scrambled away from the monster. The beast seemed to be paying attention to the unconscious elf at the moment and its electricity seemed to be able to fry her at any moment! The ice had already begun to melt rapidly at each touch of the sparks. “Don't do it Callum, don't do it.” he mumbled to himself as he picked up a rock. “Just run and survive.” He said as images of his mother flashed back into his mind. Had she done that when he needed protecting?</p><p>    Callum threw the rock against the Orchaeoch’s head and the beast snapped its laser like focus to the prince who stood and ran, the Orchaeoch following at the instant he moved.</p><p>    “Come on big… thing!” Callum yelled to the sparking beast pursuing him. “Lets get you outta here.” Nearly every part of Callum’s body was yelling at him to stop and let the elf die. She had attacked him! Why save her?! STUPID CONSCIENCE!!!</p><p>The Orchaeoch growled hungrily as it pranced through the woods, joyously chasing its prey. Suddenly Callum realised something. The lightning coming from the Orchaeoch was hot enough to melt ice… maybe it was hot enough to burn wood! Callum whirled to the side and the Orchaeoch bumped into a tree before instantly recovering to pursue his toy. The tree sparked to life as a flickering flame emitted from its now charred trunk.</p><p>“Yes!” Callum exclaimed looking back in pleasure at the miniscule fire. “Just do that more!” He said as he weaved behind another tree. The Orchaeoch slashed at it and rammed into it, sending the tree up into thousands of tongues of fire. The roaring blaze from the tree spread to others quickly and had soon enclosed the two beings within its ring of flame and smoke.</p><p>The Orchaeoch growled happily as he stepped closer to the prince who had finally stopped to face him. Callum shuddered as the creature’s zygodactyl foot scraped the course dirt it stood on, its claws striking the earth in a heavy blow of triumph.</p><p>Callum looked this way and that trying to find a fault in the lanes of fire he had orchestrated but it proved to no avail. He seemed to be trapped with the slobbering monster within the eye of this fire storm. The beast took another step and Callum moved slightly to the right in a kind of circling motion. The Orchaeoch imitated his movements as he too stalked around the imaginary point. Callum continued looking desperately through the flames for some sort of opening but none seemed available.</p><p>“Look,” Callum spoke to the beast as if he could understand him. “I don’t want to die, you don’t want to die… I’m assuming.” Callum scanned the area again… no opening. “We can just go our separate ways and you can find some other person to eat.” The Orchaeoch gave a low growl at his words and Callum stared in awe. Could the monster really understand him? “Or maybe you shouldn’t eat anyone!” Callum began, pressing his luck of escape and survival. “Maybe you can just eat deer… and rabbits and stuff.” The Orchaeoch growled again. “Trust me, humans don’t even taste that good… I'm assuming.”</p><p>Suddenly Callum saw it! The opening he had been waiting for! It was a tight squeeze in between the flames but it was the only opportunity he had for survival. “I’m sure that sheep taste better too!” He said as he began to peel from the circle and towards the exit. “I mean, I love mutton! You should try it sometime! Gotta go bye!” Callum darted through the flames and the Orchaeoch shot forwards, but quickly screamed and recoiled as soon as his skin met the boiling flames. Callum was safe!</p><p>“YES!” He yelled happily as he stood outside of the ring of fire. “Oh yes! Oh yeah! I did it! AGAIN!!! Ha! I am the conqueror of this beast!" The Orchaeoch snarled from within the flames and Callum strode away proudly.</p><p>He had bested the monster yet again, but there was still one problem… what should he do with the elf?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Finally these two can get some alone time!</p><p>The next chapter will have a lot of preludes to the coming rayllum in this work</p><p>Hope u are all enjoying thus far</p><p> </p><p>And yes, the Orchaeoch will return!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Pain and Choices</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Callum strode back to the town as dark clouds began to form overhead as the sun began to lower in the sky. Callum’s hair was matted with sweat, dirt and ash, as was his blue jacket and tangled, red scarf. His feet ached and his back moaned with discomfort at each step he took, but he trudged onward to get away from that terrifying beast that he had bested once again, and to revisit his attacker.</p><p>	Callum turned and faced the open clearing into the village where two giant ice spikes held the elven girl suspended in mid air, her face was devoid of all feeling and for a moment Callum presumed her dead. Upon further examination, Callum could see the steady and slow heaving of her chest as her subconscious worked double time to circulate air throughout her lungs while the rest of her was absent.</p><p>	Now what? Callum thought to himself. Do I help her or just leave her and hope she doesn't find me again?</p><p>	Callum paced back and forth as he thought. The fire that he had orchestrated was crackling loud enough for him to hear and even feel the heat from his great distance. Part of him wanted the fire to spread and destroy everything. All his pain and loss. His memories of a life he could never get back, and the dreaded beast that stalked him. He wanted to run away from it all, and yet he wanted to stay. Another part wanted the fire to die down so he could look at the town he had once called his own, to feel some semblance of those feelings he had felt what seemed to be ages ago. His father, his mother, his brother, his friends. He wanted them back, but he couldn’t because of the elves.</p><p>	Callum wheeled around to face the elf as he clenched his fist in rage, the first emotion other than fear that he had felt in some time. Something inside him seemed to boil over with a new sort of pain and hate that he had not felt before. Callum stared with eyes full of tears and fire at the unconscious sealer of his fate. The elves had taken everything from him and now that he had had time to wallow in that misery they had created for him, they had come to finish him off along with the last remnant of the human race. He had come to realise that he was most likely the last of the humans. He was the only one. He was alone. Alone. All alone. Because of her and her kind.</p><p>	“I should kill you.” Callum mumbled as he glared like death itself towards the unconscious and trapped elf. “You did that to my parents, my brother and my friends. Why should I do any different?”</p><p>	“Because you are better than that Callum.” A voice called from seemingly nowhere. The voice was familiar and could only belong to one person in the whole world.</p><p>	“Mom?” Callum asked in astonishment and sadness. “Where are you?”</p><p>	“I’m here Callum.” The voice responded. It came from no specific direction and Callum continued to spin around in search of its source.</p><p>	“I cant see you.” The prince said helplessly as he sat down on the dirt.</p><p>	“I know Callum.” His mother’s sweet soothing voice calmed his nerves and the prince began to relax. “But I’m still here.”</p><p>	“I can’t do this mom.” Callum said as tears escaped his watery eyes. “I’m alone, and scared and angry and confused. I don’t know what to do.” The water struck the ground as did a drop of rain. Then a tear, then another. Then a raindrop, then another, and another, and another, until the whole ground was wet with sorrow from the lost prince and the sky above.</p><p>	“There’s no need to feel scared Callum.” his mother said as Callum felt her warmth on his shoulder as if she was consoling him with her touch. “The world may be strange and broken. Violence and anarchy may reign for the time being, but in the end it will all be okay.”</p><p>	“It doesn't feel that way.” Callum admitted.</p><p>	“It never does at the time.” Sarai responded. “Others may want to harm you and the world, but kindness is the only solution.” Callum mouthed the last words; kindness is the only solution. “I love you with all my heart and I will never leave you.” Sarai’s comforting presence left Callum’s shoulder and the prince stood up, longing for the presence to return.</p><p>	“Mom! Wait! Don’t-…” Sarai’s voice and presence had faded completely. “Go…” Callum sighed and slumped his rain covered shoulders in despair. He turned and looked at the elf. There was blood leaking from her side and her skin was growing pale. He thought to leave her there, but his mother’s words still rung throughout his head.</p><p> </p><p>	“Kindness.” Callum said as he began to pry his assassin from his trap. Her blood had stained and melted most of the ice and she came out with little resistance.</p><p>	Callum lifted the assassin into his arms and began carrying her through the forest and away from the Orchaeoch’s domain. As he trudged on with the additional weight, Callum examined the mercenary. She was very pale and her eyes seemed to be tattooed with some sort of purplish marking. Her suit was black and a seafoam blueish-green. Her ears were pointed into his jacket and her horns hung over the side of his arm with the rest of her head. Her complexion was astoundingly beautiful and her four fingered hands were limp in the prince’s arms.</p><p>	He couldn’t look at the lovely face without thinking of what sort of atrocities she had committed. She had probably killed several humans without a second thought. She was evil, but Callum had chosen kindness over revenge. He would help her and then be on his way. Where he did not know, but he would go where he was led. He was now a vagabond, and the last of the human race.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you guys are enjoying so far. Been listening to a lot of music lately and got back into playing the piano/keyboard. Thinking about making more TDP covers on my YT channel. Tell me if you guys would be interested in the comments below!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The War of the Heart and the Mind</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Well, I have been gone forever and I apologize... I have reasons and all I can say right now until I get the posters done is: SOMETHING BIG IS COMING</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rayla’s eyes burst open with alarm and she gasped for air. She paid no attention to her surroundings as she reviewed the previous events in her mind. She remembered the human, the Orchaeoch, the ice… the ice. The words paused in Rayla’s mind and hung there as she contemplated the situation once more. Yes. The ice. It had come from the human! He was a primal mage! But that was impossible, humans didn’t possess an arcanum.</p><p>	Rayla’s thoughts were distracted as she finally began to take in her surroundings. She was in a cave of some sort that was rather dark, despite the glowing fire near its mouth. She was laid on a ledge with a ramshackle blanket of some sort draped over her. Beside the fire was the very human who her mind was in awe about. His scarf was wrapped tightly around the lower part of his head and he was rubbing his hands trying to keep warm by the fire.</p><p>	Suddenly, she remembered her mission; she was supposed to kill the humans for their evil dark magic. Rayla tried getting up off the ledge but was confronted by a sharp pain in her midsection. </p><p>	“Hguh!” She grunted as she laid back down on the stone and placed her hands by her wound. Her abdomen was wrapped in cloth underneath the blanket. The human turned around as she made the noise and  began approaching her. Rayla shifted away from him and turned her head away from him. The human kelt beside her.</p><p>	“Are you doing alright?” Rayla grunted as a reply. “I need to know if you are okay.” Rayla gave no reply except for shifting her arm away from him. “I’m just trying to hel--”</p><p>	“Why don’t ya spare me tha time an’ just kill me now?! Quit tryin’ ta make it peaceful, just strike already!” The human stepped back in confusion.</p><p>	“I don't want to hurt you.” Rayla scoffed and faced the human, her eyes were glowing with a rage that was primarily directed at herself for having been so helplessly injured by such a lesser race.</p><p>	“Yeah ya do! We took everything from you! You want to kill me! So do it!!!” The human threw his hands up in frustration and sorrow as the elf resurfaced the recent past that he had tried so hard to bury.</p><p>	“You’re right.” The human finally admitted. “I do want to hurt you. I want to make you feel every bit of pain that you made me feel! I want you to suffer!” Rayla was getting worried now. She had wanted to be killed so that she wouldn’t have to live with the shame of being captured by such a primitive and vile race. However this human seemed to have intentions of torturing her, and that made her crave her death even more.</p><p>	“Just kill me.” Rayla mumbled, trying her best to hide her jumbled emotions. The human shook his head.</p><p>	“No.” A tear made its way down Rayla’s cheek. She didn’t want to experience any sort of human torture. She wanted to either live life normally and with minimal pain, or to die quickly. “I’m not like you.” The human turned and walked away to go sit by the fire again. “Get some sleep. I’ll find you something to eat in the morning.”</p><p>	Completely bewildered, Rayla shifted and stared at the puzzling human’s back as he sat by the warm fire. She had never seen or even heard of a human who would willingly spare any sort of enemy, let alone one who had helped wipe out his entire race! Rayla wanted to speak to him more to find out why he was so different when her mind yelled at her to stop.</p><p>	“He’s playing you Rayla!” Her mind screamed as she jerked uncomfortably on the ledge. “He’s a human! He knows how to make you feel nice and comfortable, and then WHAM! He’ll make you suffer! You’re stronger than he is and if you have to die to prove it than die you shall!” Suddenly some other part of Rayla joined the argument and opposed her absolute mind.</p><p>	“But he is showing mercy! And he is touched by a primal arcanum! He is special!” Rayla’s mind made ready to combat this statement from her gut.</p><p>	“He is using dark magic and making it appear like primal magic! He is deceiving me!”</p><p>	“But what if he’s different?” The heart asked. Rayla had finally realized that it was her heart that was grappling with her mind. She rested her head on the mossy rock and tried to sort out this internal conflict without arousing the potentially dangerous human just a few feet away.</p><p>	“What if?! You’re basing this on a what if?! Go with the facts! He is a human and I have been told that all humans are MONSTERS!” Rayla’s mind struck back at her heart's desperate attempt to win the raging war inside her.</p><p>	“I can feel something different about him! I really can!” Her heart pleaded.</p><p>	“Don’t listen Rayla! He’s evil!” The mind said.</p><p>	“No he’s not!” The heart began again. “What has he ever done to me that put me in harm's way?” Rayla mulled that over for a bit as she cast a quick glance at the shivering human. He was holding his hands close to the fire for warmth against a cold that was unnoticed by Rayla and her troubled conscience.</p><p>	“He led that Orchaeoch towards me! He tried to get me killed!” The mind realized.</p><p>	“But then he saved me!”</p><p>	“He stuck me in ICE!”</p><p>	“Only in self defense! I attacked him!” The heart yelled back.</p><p>	“I had a job to do! I have to kill him!”</p><p>	“He hasn’t laid a hand on me except to bring me back to full health! He got rid of the Orchaeoch and here he is watching over and providing for me. He is good. I know it!”</p><p>	“STOP!!!” Rayla screamed as the human spun his head around in alarm. Rayla realized her sudden outburst and the fact that she was now sitting up straight. An intense pain in her side started burning and she quickly laid back down moaning in agony. The human rushed over in terror.</p><p>	“Oh my stars! Oh my… Are you okay?!” Rayla grunted and held her side, there seemed to be some sort of damp cloth against the injured area. She lifted up her hand to find that it was devoid of its naturally pale color and instead was replaced with a dark crimson blood. Her heart began to pound inside her chest at the sight. How injured was she?! She was helpless to do anything. Her heart was terrified and her mind was spinning with endless ideas on how in Xadia she could get better.</p><p>	“I’m so sorry!” The human said as he pressed against the cloth lightly. Rayla grunted in pain.</p><p>	“Get off me!” She said, her voice echoed the pain coursing through her. The human remained at her side, steadily pressing against the wound.</p><p>	“I need to apply pressure otherwise it's gonna get a lot worse.” Rayla was about to speak but the human cut her off as he continued, “I know I said I wanted you to die but I didn’t mean it. I need you to keep pressure on this while I go look for a cure okay?” Rayla was still in shock, but through the fear her heart spoke louder.</p><p>	“Okay.” Rayla said as she nodded unsteadily. The boy smiled and suddenly Rayla felt calmer… It had been so long since she had last seen some form of joy that she had almost forgotten what it looked like. However, the moment was short lived as the human glanced back down at the morbid wound in her side.</p><p>	“Okay, okay.” he sighed. “Um… don’t move, I’ll be right back.” And with that he left the cave and Rayla, still clutching her open wound.</p><p>	Her brain was still in a bustle trying to process what had happened and the heart took the opportunity.</p><p>	“See?” Her heart began. “I knew he was good.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, yeah, this chapter was pretty deep (at least in my opinion) Tell me what ya think of it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Born from Ashes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sky had darkened completely leaving nearly all living things blind. The sky had been sheeted with large clouds that poured down rain on the earth below, extinguishing the fires that bathed and crawled over the unmoving carcass of the Orchaeoch. The rain patted gently on the ground and the charred flesh of the creature. The slight pitter patter of rain continued into a downpour, soaking the burns and carnage of what once was a feared predator.</p><p>    Finally, all of the flames that scurried and crawled across the flesh of the Orchaeoch had been diminished and a loud exhale came from the deformed mouth of the beast. The Orchaeoch was alive!</p><p>    “Wh-where am I?” The Orchaeoch thought. His mind was clearer than it had ever been and he looked himself over. His limbs were charred and shriveled from the strength of the ravenous fire. “Fire… It has cleansed me of my savagery.” The Orchaeoch set his shriveled arms on the ground and gave a loud scream that changed its sound from the Orchaeoch’s usual demonic shriek, to a human scream, the boy’s scream. “GCHGCHGCHAGCHAAGCHAAAGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”</p><p>    The Orchaeoch stopped and examined his deformed body again. He snarled and contracted his head, tensing his muscles and creating thousands of new cells, completely re-creating the limbs he had once had. “Fire is my strength.” He thought as parts of his black skin changed to a dark red and dark orange color.</p><p>    The beast stomped his new body on the ground, sending the old charred limbs that had fallen off, flying away. The Orchaeoch lifted his head and his mouth made a sparking noise before he ignited the rainy sky in brilliant and menacing flames. “I have discovered my source! Now nothing will stand in the way of my purpose. The darkness must be destroyed and the light shall be mine to protect.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>    Callum awoke in a cold sweat. The ringing of his own scream was still loud in his ears. He jumped out of his sleeping bag and looked around. The elf was awake and staring out of the mouth of the cave that Callum was bordering. Callum turned toward the object of the elf’s fascination to find that giant orange flames were combating the rain for dominion over the sky.</p><p>    The awesome and horrible scene was followed by the chirps of the creature Callum thought he had slain. The chirps suddenly changed to Callum’s joyous laugh. The sound sent chills up the young prince’s spine as he heard his own voice calling to him from such a horrid being.</p><p>    “The Orchaeoch.” The elf behind him whispered in terror.</p><p>    “The what?” Callum asked, confused.</p><p>    “I-its coming f-for me.” She continued, paying no heed to the boy’s words. “I-it wants m-me dead.” The fiery sky had returned to its darkened and rainy grey. And the demonic beast made loud chirps and snarls from the distance. “The Orchaeoch! The Orchaeoch!” The elf continued yelling and Callum rushed over to her.</p><p>    “It’s okay, it’s okay. Calm down.” The elf was shaking, her skin was covered with goosebumps and her pupils were dilating in terror.</p><p>    “It's coming for me!”  The creature chirped madly and laughed with Callum and the elf’s laugh in unison. The terrifying noise sent the elf into a fit of maniacal shaking as she screamed, “It took him! It’ll take me too!” </p><p>    “Calm down!” Callum yelled. The elf stopped shaking and looked him dead in the eyes. “If we are going to survive this, then we need to work together. Can you walk?” The elf stared into his eyes and gave a curt nod. “Good. Follow me, I’ll keep you safe okay?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Greetings fellow humans!</p><p>I hope that you are all enjoying this work so far. Now that The Dragon Prince graphic novel, "through the moon" is released I will start revisiting an older, unfinished work, The Dragon and the Red Scarf. I will still be working on this work as well but it will have to go back to sharing the spotlight with my other. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.</p><p>That being said, I have been working on something big on my own, and on an even larger project with a few other writers! Stay tuned for more information and have fun reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. The Return of the Orchaeoch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ah yes... Finally... Some brief hints at Rayllum</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rayla followed hurriedly behind the human as the two of them bolted from the cave and headed away from the fallen kingdom, and the Orchaeoch. The elf’s hair was fluttering anxiously through the wind, her heart was beating louder than a wardrum and her mind was a whirling tornado with no order. She could barely hold onto a single thought as she felt the slipping-like feeling within herself as if she was spiraling out of control. The human had noticed and paused briefly to look after her in her horrible state.</p><p>    “What’s wrong?” The human asked. Rayla felt comforted by such a similar voice as her own and not the vile creature’s imitation. She wanted to tell her how grateful she was, how undeserving she was of such a generous and selfless act. She wanted to say anything other than the title of the putrid monster pursuing them, but that was the only thing that seemed to escape her mumbling lips.</p><p>    “The Orchaeoch. The Orchaeoch.” The human paused and looked at her with his emerald green eyes. Rayla calmed a bit at the sight of such a calming sea of green and lowered her hands that had previously been uncontrolled by herself and gripping her head.</p><p>    “Its okay. I’ll help you.” Rayla shook her head violently. There was no way he could help! He was a human and so many had been taken out by the elves. This creature had taken out elves and humans alike, they stood no chance!</p><p>    “No.” Rayla said frantically as she nearly slipped once more into her panicked state. “It kills. I kill. I’ve killed. So, so many.” Rayla could no longer contain all of her encapsulated emotions and she suddenly burst from the pressure of so much bearing down on her. She was a murderer. She deserved none of this human, her enemy’s kindness, let alone his offer of protection. Tears of pain, fear, sadness and regret began their journey down the valley of her cheek. The human was stooping beside her as she collapsed from fear and mental agony.</p><p>    “Calm down.” The human continued in his attempt to reassure the completely shaken Rayla. She looked into his eyes again, hoping to find that sea of peace she had seen before, but the calm sea was becoming agitated as the human too started to fear. Despite this new terror showing in his eyes, he remained his collected facade and continued to console her. “What’s your name?” Rayla glanced down and back up again as her brain scrambled for her own name. Finally she stuttered,</p><p>    “R-Rayla.” The human smiled.</p><p> </p><p>    “Okay Rayla. I’m Callum and you’re gonna have to listen to me okay? Focus on me.” The Orchaeoch shrieked again but Rayla kept her gaze focused on the beautiful and entrancing sea of green staring into her very soul. The human that addressed himself as Callum smiled briefly and Rayla was suddenly overcome with a sense of relief at the gesture. “Good job.” He said. “Can you walk now?” Rayla nodded.</p><p>    “Y-yeah. I think so.” She said as she rose from her feeble and helpless position to stand beside Callum.</p><p>    “Okay Rayla, listen carefully. There’s a town not far too far away from here in that direction.” Callum pointed into a densely wooded area. “I want you to go there and don't look back, okay?” Rayla opened her mouth to rebuttal but Callum cut her off before she could utter a sound. “Don’t look back.” Rayla gulped at the thought of this human dying for his enemy. Why would he do such a thing?</p><p>    “Won’t you die?” She finally asked. Callum shrugged.</p><p>    “Maybe. I think I’m ready though. There isn’t much left here for me anyway.” The words hit Rayla like a dagger to the heart. She had played a part in her savior’s want for death. She felt so horrible inside that she would have thrown up had she eaten recently.</p><p>    “But why would you die for me? I’m… I’m a murderer.” She admitted as Callum looked anxiously over his shoulder as the Orchaeoch chirped with twisted elation once more.</p><p>    “Because I believe in second chances.” Callum said as he gave Rayla a small push away from him and to the direction he had instructed her to go. Rayla was still baffled at the human’s strange selflessness and paused a moment longer before Callum shooed her off, his voice growing panicked as the Orchaeoch sprinted closer. “Go!” Rayla obeyed swiftly and jumped away into the forest, ignoring a sharp pain in her mid-section that she had not noticed moments ago.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>    There were worse ways to go, Callum thought as he watched the elf, Rayla, jump away and head to some settlement that could provide safety for at least a few days or so. He had spent so much time without anyone that part of him hurt to watch her leave. She may have been his enemy and a foul murderer, but she was the only other sentient being he had come in contact with in what felt like years. She also seemed to doubt whether her actions were just which Callum had never seen before in the form of a murderer… Then again, he didn’t know many murderers.</p><p>    The Orchaeoch sounded dangerously close by this point and Callum was conflicted if he should run or face his death head on. If he ran, he could maybe save Rayla a few extra minutes of being hunted, whereas if he stayed his death might be quick… painless and fast. He would have liked to hear the elf’s explanation of why such a tragedy had occurred and what had led such a ‘sovereign’ race to commit such unspeakable acts, but it was probably better this way. </p><p>The bushes directly ahead of him began rustling intensely and Callum closed his eyes and gave a deep breath. He was ready now. A loud thud sounded almost at Callum’s feet. His eyes remained sealed although he could practically see the Orchaeoch standing over him. Cold beads of sweat began to form on his forehead as he readied himself. Here it comes…</p><p>“Callum?” A familiar and small voice asked inquisitively in front of him. Callum had heard this voice before! It was the voice of his younger step-brother, Ezran! Callum’’s mind suddenly changed from dire anticipation to elation in the blink of an eye as the image of the Orchaeoch in his mind vanished to become that of his thought lost brother.</p><p>“Ez?!?!” Callum asked in sheer joy as he opened his eyes. The sight before him nearly took his breath away.</p><p>Ezran’s voice was coming from the vibrating jaw of the horrible monster before him. The Orchaeoch had his head bowed slightly below Callum’s neck to emmit the sound at a lower level, Ezran’s level of height. The creature was smarter than he had thought and Callum shuddered at how intensely close the creature was to him. His vibrating jaw was lined with dagger-like teeth that jutted out of its mouth at strange angles. Its head was smooth and curved upward into two symmetrical plates that ran past its neck. Its quills were vibrating with its mouth and its tongue was flailing as it spoke in a nearly perfect identity to the voice of his lost brother,</p><p>“Callum? Where are you?” Callum shuddered in terror. When had this thing seen his brother?! Had he eaten him?! Had he been the one to kill him?!?! Callum’s arms started to shake violently and his eyes began to glow an extremely light blue as he spoke in a grave and terrifying voice.</p><p>“What did you do to Ez?!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well howdy readers!</p><p>So glad that you all have made it this far and just wanted to ask a quick question... What are your feelings, thoughts, and predictions on the star monster: The Orchaeoch?</p><p>Ive been meaning to make another Dragon Prince cover on my youtube channel but I currently only have access to a 1980 Yamaha keyboard... Would any of you want to hear an 80's rendition of a TDP song? (My youtube channel is titled, Porg Master and it has a pic of a Porg wielding the infinity gauntlet)</p><p>Comment below, and as always stay safe and healthy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. The Confrontation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finally, we reveal the name of our fabled monster... Enjoy</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>While fierce, Callum’s rage was not blind. He was well aware of himself and his sudden burst of power. His clenched fist began to glow along with his burning eyes. Callum had never had such control over his mysterious new power or his boiling anger before in his life. His mind was no longer in such a chaotic state and he could see clearly his goal as he stared into the now agape jaw of the Orchaeoch, the creature’s togue flailing in the air madly as if anticipating his next victim.</p><p>“What did you do to Ez You damn monster?!?!” Callum yelled again. He didn’t expect the seemingly unintelligible beast to respond and instead spoke in words he had never recited before in his life, “Aspiro Frigis!” Callum yelled as he blew icy wind from his now glowing mouth. He would avenge the death of his brother or die trying.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Finally! The Orchaeoch was so close to the source of his light that he could practically taste the wonderful essence! The one with darkness was gone, giving the Orchaeoch renewed focus on his primary purpose. The human had his eyes closed, but the call that the creature had made seemed to ignite the light within him, teasing the Orchaeoch with delectable fragments of light unseen by him since he was Erkunden. The light within the human seemed to respond to the Orchaeoch’s first call so he tried it again,</p><p>“Callum, where are you?” The Orchaeoch mimicked, only this time, the human had opened his eyes and the light inside did grow stronger, but it had an almost bitter essence to it. The Orchaeoch was confused but the glowing essence was overpowering and was driving him mad. He had to have a taste.</p><p>Suddenly the human yelled a foreign word to the creature and shot a beam of icy wind at him. The Orchaeoch laughed with a demonic chirping sound. Surely the human could do better than that. But why was it attacking him he wondered, the Orchaeoch was only there to help and protect the frail human. Nonetheless the Orchaeoch parried the blow with his first test of his newest ability. He searched deep inside his throat and began moving the gasses within to create the desired parry. What better to get rid of ice than…</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“FIRE?!?!” Callum yelled in astonishment. “Wha-? When did?!” The prince stuttered uncontrollably, his eyes still glowing. It was then, when he dodged the burning flame that emitted from the demon’s throat, that he realized the strange new coloring on the creature. There were now strange stripes of dark orange and crimson that soared across the creature’s smooth flesh. Perhaps this perplexing thing could use other abilities.</p><p>“No Callum.” He said to himself yet loud enough for the Orchaeoch to hear. “Don’t wonder about it. Kill it! It killed my brother!” Callum’s rage returned faster and stronger than it had ever been. “YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!!!” Callum held his hands forward again but the Orchaeoch was too quick and pounced on top of him as Callum’s world went dark…</p><p> </p><p>“YOU KILLed… my… wh-where am I?” Callum asked. He was standing in a completely black void with no apparent ground or ceiling. His footing seemed sturdy though. “A-am… Am I dead? Did that thing kill me?” A loud echo filled the room as another voice joined the conversation.</p><p>“No. You’re still living.” The calm and cheerful voice of Ezran replied. Callum looked around searching for the source. “I brought you here to communicate.” The body of Ezran materialized about six feet in front of Callum and the prince’s face lit up with joy at the sight of his lost brother.</p><p>“Ezran!” Callum exclaimed in joy. The figure of Ezran cocked his head in confusion.</p><p>“Is that who I appear to be? His calling is Ezran?” Callum looked at the form of his brother with confusion as he answered in bewilderment,</p><p>“Yes?” Ezran looked down at his hands and smiled.</p><p>“Oh. Curious. You two legs have strange callings for one another.” Callum thought he knew the answer, but he asked anyway,</p><p>“Who are you then?” Ezran looked at Callum and smiled. The gesture sent a chill up Callum’s spine… If he had a spine… He still wasn’t quite sure if he was alive or not.</p><p>“In my tongue, I am called…” Ezran opened his mouth wide and emitted a strange series of clicks and evil chirps before quickly returning to english, “But in your tongue I would be called Brush Stalker.” Callum had recognized the chirps from his nightmare of a reality. His worst fear was confirmed, he was trapped in this strange place with… “You continue to call me Orchaeoch as you do for all of my family.” </p><p>“Family?!” Callum asked in horror and in sarcasm. There was no way this demon had any sort of familial bonds, but the thought of more of them scared the wits out of him.</p><p>“Yes.” Brush Stalker replied, still using Ezran’s form and voice. “The children of Hive Keeper are many, as are the children of Nest Jumper and Light Tyrant.” Callum shuddered. There were more of them. Brush Stalker tilted Ezran’s head. “You seem flight.”</p><p>“Huh?” Callum breathed. The creature spoke strangely and was very hard to understand at times, but Callum didn’t care; he just wanted to run.</p><p>“Mistake.” Brush Stalker began in his confusing version of english. “You seem fright.”</p><p>“Frightened?” Callum asked for clarity. Brush Stalker nodded.</p><p>“Mistake. Yes. Frightened is how you appear.”</p><p> </p><p>“Terrified is probably a better word for what I feel right now.” Brush Stalker nodded as if mulling the thought over in his mind. He paused and looked at Callum with curiosity.</p><p>“You are torn?” The creepy movements of Ezran’s body and the strange speech was unsettling. Callum didn’t know how much more of this he could take.</p><p>“Could you please look like someone else? The elf? Anyone else?” The Orchaeoch tilted his head and changed form into Callum. Callum stared at himself as he watched his body remain still as he flailed his arms trying to get his mirror image to mirror him. Brush Stalker tilted his head again.</p><p>“Why are you terrified?” The Orchaeoch asked in Callum’s own voice. This was almost equally unsettling but Callum thought it best not to test the strange being he was trapped with.</p><p>“Weren’t you trying to kill me?” Callum asked in the politest way possible. If there is a polite way to ask such a question.</p><p>“No.” Brush Stalker said definitely. “You are fill with light. I am protect you.” Callum’s fear had subsided at these words and was instead replaced with curiosity.</p><p>“Did you kill Ezran?” Callum asked earnestly.</p><p>“No.” Callum sighed in relief as a nervous laugh escaped his lips. Now he could actually try to talk with this thing now that he knew it wasn’t evil… unless… it was lying. “I am not lie. I am truth. I communicate truth, never lie.” Confused, but not wanting to spark a debate with such a strange creature, Callum continued with his questions.</p><p>“Did you kill anyone? Anyone at all during the massacre?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Who?” Brush Stalker looked down to think again. Callum had been wrong about this thing, it was extremely intelligent.</p><p>“Many elf. All were darkness in hearts. Only one had light. Is Rayla. Sadness, she is soon darkness in heart. Brush Stalker not want kill her. She has potential to light. Many potential. You are help with her light.” Brush Stalker said. Callum was bewildered at this point but got the gist of what Brush Stalker was ‘communicating’.</p><p>“I can help? How?” Brush Stalker changed into the form of a tall elf with purple markings on his nose and cheeks. It’s voice was different now too, probably to match it’s new image.</p><p>“You is light. You care for her until all darkness gone. When darkness gone, I come with to protect. I cannot habitate near darkness. It against purpose. You change her, but no change you. You is light. You is good.” Callum wasn’t exactly sure what the creature meant but he understood the idea and nodded.</p><p>“Okay. But how do I get out of here?” Brush Stalker moved a hand to his lips to silence him.</p><p>“Brush Stalker not finished. I is to protect you. When darkness gone in Rayla heart, communicate me. I is your servant. Communicate where I need go when leave here area.” Now extremely confused, Callum rubbed the side of his head trying to process what the Orchaeoch had just said. He was it’s master? How did that happen?</p><p>“Um…” Callum began. An excellent way to begin his first authoritative order. “Oh! I need you to find Ezran for me if I’m gonna help you out okay?” The Orchaeoch changed back into Ezran’s form.</p><p>“Ezran. Yes.”</p><p>“Don’t kill him when you find him. Talk to him and bring him to me okay?” Callum asked to make sure that his orders were clear.</p><p>“Communicate with Ezran, bring back light to light. Yes.” Callum smiled. Things were finally going his way again.</p><p>“Good job… Brush Stalker?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“I’ll tell you when I’ve fixed Rayla.” Brush Stalker shook Ezran’s head in disapproval.</p><p>“You not fix people. They fix them own hurt, you only help.”</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly Callum was back in the real world. He was laying on the grass, wrapped in the thin tail of the Orchaeoch who had just lifted his head. Brush Stalker turned his eyeless head toward Callum. The beast stood.</p><p>"Help." It gurgled before running off into the woods as a black and red blur.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Greet humans! I am communicate with you.</p><p>Was this chapter good? Did you expect something like this to occur? What are your predictions for upcoming chapters? Communicate (comment) with me below your questions, comments, and predictions. I will try to answer as many questions as possible without using spoilers</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. No More Runnin'</h2></a>
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    <p>Rayla panted loudly as she summoned all of her strength just to keep running. The sharp pain in her side was met with the steady stream of blood oozing past her clothing. The red liquid stained her hand as she compressed the wound while continuing to run rather quickly through the dense forest. She had told a half truth to the human when she had said she could run, her injury was much more severe than she had initially thought and her head felt light.</p><p>Why had she insisted on running while the human stayed behind? His selflessness was uncalled for and it touched Rayla in a very strange way. She felt sympathy for the human, she felt a form of compassion for him that she had never really felt for anyone before. His actions were so bizarre, especially considering his circumstances. Why would he save his enemy like this? Why would he help her? Rayla remembered Callum’s answer to this from earlier last night (it was indeed the previous night, the sun was beginning to show itself through the trees.) and was still confused. His reply had not eased her mind in the slightest, in fact, it had only made it run more rampant with bewilderment.</p><p>Rayla pushed through the brush and fell in a small clearing, her body exhausted from the run. The Orchaeoch had not made any noises as of yet, which did little to ease Rayla’s conscience. Perhaps the beast was in the process of devouring the object of her fascination.</p><p>“No Raya!” She yelled at herself. She instantly covered her mouth in terror, the Orchaeoch could have heard her. She lay still for a moment, not daring to even breathe at the fear of the Orchaeoch hearing every breath. When it seemed safe, Rayla opened her mouth again to whisper to herself,</p><p>“Don’ think like tha’. He’ll be fine. It’ll be alrigh’... Hush little Rayla, It’ll be alrigh’.” She told herself the same words her mother had told her when she had left. Her parents had just joined the dragonguard and Rayla had been about eight when they left. She remembered her tears that she had shed for so many nights, she remembered the last words she had heard from her mother, “hush little Rayla, it’ll be alrigh’.”  </p><p>Her heart ached at the bitter memory. Her parents had left her to perform an important duty, and Rayla understood the importance of why they had to leave, but it didn’t take away the pain. She had been lonely for so many years. Granted she had Runaan and Ethari to care for her, but they were much different than her parents. The two had practically raised Rayla and shaped her into the person she was now… a dark, horrible, murderer.</p><p>“Why did I ever agree ta do this?” She asked herself as she rolled onto her back, the blood from her side was flowing out of her less now that she had laid down. “I-I’ve let them down… I’m a failure for the elves ’cause I can't kill this human. And now I’m a failure to my parents ‘cause I’ve already killed so many that were probably innocent!” She whispered angrily to herself. “And now I’m a failure to Callum ‘cause I just let him die like tha’! Why am I such a ‘orrible person?!” She grabbed her khoseph blade and shoved it into the ground next to her in rage.</p><p>Finally, Rayla had realized something. “I need ta make thin’s right again.” She stood up and stabbed the other sword into the ground, then she took off her boots. “I’m done killin’.” The swords hit the ground. “An’ I’m done runnin’ too.” She tossed her boots on the ground. She stood up with a strength that she had never felt before, a strength unparalleled to the adrenaline of the heat of battle or the burst of energy from fear. Her mind was sound for the first time in what felt like years and she had just the thing to symbolize it.</p><p>Rayla reached into her vest and pulled out a tied pouch. The Venators had each been given a similar pouch, each of which contained a special sort of paint that they would place on their chins when they had finished their first assignment.</p><p>Rayla opened the pouch and dipped a finger into the purple liquid, and then proceeded to make an almost diamond shaped marking on her forehead. “I’m ready ta face thin’s now. My mind is sound and my heart is cleansed. My heart is the source of my strength, an’ my heart bleeds for Xadia… and wha’ it has become.”</p><p>Rayla finished her speech and glanced up at the forest where the human she had tried to kill had died for her. “No more runnin’.” She said before bursting into a full fledged sprint into the brush. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Now what?” Callum asked himself as Brush Stalker’s form vanished into the woods. “I know I need to find Rayla, but I have no clue where she could be. I don’t even know where I am.” Callum laughed uneasily. He seemed to laugh when things were going wrong as a way to cheer up. It almost never worked though.</p><p>The prince spun his head this way and that, searching for any familiar landmarks that might aid in his situation. “Uuuuuuuuh… Great. I’m totally lost.” Callum flung his hands up in defeat as he began pacing the grounds in contemplation. “Brush Stalker? Beanstalk? What was your name again?” Suddenly a voice spoke faintly in Callum’s mind using his own voice,</p><p>“I is Brush Stalker. What you need?” Callum was astonished as he thought,</p><p>“Where are you?”</p><p>“Going to find Ezran. Small human that smell like you.” The voice replied.</p><p>“But how can I talk with you if you’re not here?” The voice paused for a moment as if processing his statement.</p><p>“I communicate through mind more than noises. But cannot go too far away, otherwise cannot read mind clearly. Messy communicating it is.”</p><p>“How long have you had this ability? Thats awesome… and kinda scary.” Callum replied.</p><p>“Always. What you need?” Callum had forgotten why he had called out for his new companion.</p><p>“Oh yeah, yeah, yeah… Um… Where exactly am i? And where should I go to follow Rayla? I kinda got lost running away from you.”</p><p>“Why you run anyway? I only want protect you.” The Orchaeoch replied. Callum raised his brow skeptically as he remembered the sheer terror he had felt while running from the creepy creature.</p><p>“Your purpose is to protect me?” Callum asked bombastically. The Orchaeoch had already answered this but Callum was still having a hard time believing it.</p><p>“Always has been.” The creature replied absolutely. “As for question, You is south-east of big human nest. Rayla coming closer from north-west. Must go now. Remember purpose!” Brush Stalker said before going silent. Callum could hear some scurrying amongst the leaves and bushes in front of him that he assumed was Brush Stalker leaving… again.</p><p>Callum turned away from the position towards what he believed to be north-west and called out, “Rayla? Rayla are you there?!” Suddenly the bushes in front of him started shaking wildly as an insanely joy filled elf burst from them. Callum smiled at the sight of Rayla’s face lit up with such elation but was quickly startled as he found himself being tackled to the floor in a powerful embrace. Rayla’s hug sent him crashing to the floor as she squeezed him tight and spoke with a tone filled with happiness and relief,</p><p>“You’re alive!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I apologize get again for not updating in a while, ive been dealing with a dying family member and heavy blows from hurricane ζ.</p><p>I may not post again in a while bit you can be sure that I will be reading your comments.</p><p>I have a surprise for you all once this work hits 5000 hits...</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Repentance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>We have hit 5,000 hits! Thank you all so much for reading and check out the end notes for a special surprise!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rayla suddenly realized what she was doing and took an uneasy step away from the human, her frame wobbling unsteadily. She cast an embarrassed smile at Callum who in turn just looked at her with confusion and some other emotion she couldn’t quite dissect, but it seemed joyous in some strange way.</p><p>	“Are you okay?” The prince asked. “You seem… strange.” He said as Rayla’s legs wobbled slightly. She tried to speak but was met with a complication.</p><p>	Suddenly, the sharp pain returned and Rayla crumpled to the floor in agony. She had almost forgotten all about her wounded abdomen, but now she could fully feel the damage done to her. The sticky crimson stained her hands as she pressed against the gash.</p><p>	“Whoa! What's wrong?!” Callum yelled as he watched her crumble to the ground so suddenly. “You’re bleeding! Hang on!” he yelled before rushing off, unsurely sprinting this way and that searching for something that he himself didn’t quite know. Meanwhile Rayla layed on the grassy floor and clenched her wound and began trying to control her breathing. But her lungs would only take in a little air and her head felt light and dizzy. She tried to call out, but the only sound that escaped her lips was the quiet whisper of the name of a human,</p><p>	“C-Callum…” Before the world went black.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>	Callum grabbed a large leaf and rushed back to the injured elf who was now lying motionless on the floor.</p><p>	“R-Rayla?” He asked shakily. He reached down and grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly. Her eyes were shut and her breathing was light. “Rayla I need you to wake up.” There was no reply. “Oh, come on.” Callum said in exasperation. He lifted Rayla up onto his back and nearly collapsed with the effort. He was tired and hungry and hadn’t been the strongest even when he was properly nourished. But he pushed her up and started to stomp forwards, retracing his steps back to the cave they had been in before the Orchaeoch… wait… the Orchaeoch!</p><p>	“Brush Stalker!” Callum called into the night. There was no noise. “Brush Stalker! Where are you? I need help!” No reply yet again. The Orchaeoch must have sprinted away to find Ezran, if that was indeed what he was doing. While Callum did appreciate the demonic creature not devouring him, he still didn’t quite trust it.</p><p>	He sighed and grunted as he situated Rayla in the most comfortable position he could on his shoulder, gripping her arm and locking her leg between his forearm and miniscule bicep. He trudged onward to the cave by himself, carrying his assassin to safety on his dirty and bloody shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>	Callum laid the head of the elf down on the ledge from before. There were still traces of her blood that stained the smooth stone. Callum sat on the much rougher floor of the cave and panted as he tried to regain his breath. It had not been too long of a walk back to the cave, but he was so exhausted and unfamiliar with carrying the weight of another person. The feeling was encumbering and he was glad to be free of the burden.</p><p>	He sat for a short while before sprouting up and gathering primitive materials that would suffice for the time being as medical aid. He gathered large leaves and pressed them against the side of the bleeding elf, but to no avail, the sticky liquid soaked through and the leaf withered at the touch of the warm fluid.</p><p>	The sheer amount of lost blood was beginning to worry the prince and he cast a reluctant look at his neck and the red scarf that rested there. Then he looked back at the wound that he was pressing so tenderly against and its victim.</p><p>	“Should I?” He asked again, glancing down at the scarf. The garment had been a gift from his mother. His mother, that his patient had agreed in killing. He couldn’t think about the purge without letting at least one tear trickle down his cheek. The tear flew down face and off his chin, right into the wound he had been addressing. Rayla moaned at  the sting of the salt and opened her eyes slightly. Callum’s countenance brightened as he watched her come back into the world that she had been absent from.</p><p>	“You okay?” He asked, a smile creeping its way across his face. Rayla could make no expression other than tiredness and pain, but her voice seemed glad to see him as she whispered.</p><p>	“Y-yeah… t-thank y-you.”</p><p>	“No problem. I need you to hold this,” He motioned with his free, bloodstained hand at the wound, “While I get some more leaves.” Rayla shook her head slightly as she whimpered,</p><p>	“U-use my v-vest.” Callum looked at her chest and saw the black and cyan colored garment and removed it from the elf with a little effort. There was something hard in the back pocket that he slid out onto the floor and paid no heed to as he folded the cloth and pressed it against the wound.</p><p>	“Better?” He asked as Rayla breathed a sigh of relief.</p><p>	“Yes. Much better.” She said as she smiled up at the prince. Her smile was quickly replaced with dread as her eyes widened. “Where is it?!”</p><p> </p><p>	“Where’s what?” Callum asked confused.</p><p>	“The Orchaeoch! Where is it?! How are you not dead?!” Callum gave a relieved laugh which did nothing to help Rayla’s rampant mind. “Where?!?!” She yelled before recoiling in pain. Callum continued to press and dab at the gash as he answered.</p><p>	“It won't hurt us anymore. It’s gone.”</p><p>	“You killed it?” She asked, her expression still worried. If he said it was dead it might ease Rayla’s fear, but he couldn’t lie to her, she was hurting and scared, so he decided the best thing to do would be to tell a half truth.</p><p>	“Well, yes but actually no.” He began confusingly, “It’s alive but it isn’t here anymore. I sent it away.”</p><p>	“Like a banishment?” Rayla asked. She was beginning to ease up at his statement so Callum thought it best to roll with it.</p><p>	“Yeah. Kinda.” Rayla sighed before beginning to sob. “Hey, what is it? What's wrong? I thought I helped.” Rayla continued sobbing and between her shaky inhales and exhales she sputtered an,</p><p>	“I’m sorry! I-I’m s-so sorry C-Callum!” Bewildered, Callum asked,</p><p>	“Why? What for? You’re safe now.” This only seemed to make her bawl all the more.</p><p>	“I-I helped! I-I k-killed y-your people! I-I’m a-a monster! I’M SORRY!!!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Due to this amazing occasion of 5,000 hits, I have commissioned a friend of mine to create a poster for this piece! In said poster, Callum and Brush Stalker will be featured in a fantastic work of art that will be posted here on AO3!<br/>Thank you all so much for reading and I look forward to carrying on this story with all of you!</p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. A new beginning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The last chapter of Unforgiven part: 1 is here!</p><p>I will start on Unforgiven part: 2 soon (hopefully) and I thank each and every one of you for reading my works, it means a lot to me so truly, thank you!</p>
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    <p>It had been about a day when Rayla awoke, she was wrapped in strips of cloth around her waist and her arms were covered with what appeared to be torn socks. She caressed her throbbing forehead as she struggled to sit up on the same rocky ledge she had been placed on before. She didn't quite remember exactly how she had passed out, or when for that matter, but she did know that her abdomen felt indefinitely better.</p><p>With this renewed strength she tried to stand but her waist quickly failed her as she grasped the edge of the rocky bed for support. Her arms were weak too and she was barely able to pull herself up to sit on the ledge again.</p><p>The wounded elf looked around at the dismal cave, outside there appeared to be some faint wisps of smoke and there was her vest, hung across a tree branch along with a bright red strip of cloth. There was also the faint sound of leaves rustling against the striking of a boot against the earth.</p><p>"The human…" Rayla said aloud. She looked around the small cave (which could barely even be considered a cave seeing as how it was only about ten feet long and cut about seventeen into the ground) and her eyes paused on a small glimmering piece of metal that was wedged between two rocks. The metal piece was ordained with the colors of the Moonshadow elf clan and from what she could tell was engraved in a sort of skull shaped face covering.</p><p>"My mask…" she murmured in disgust at the sinful item. She wanted to burn it, to throw it into the fire that she could smell outside. She wanted to do anything to get rid of that horrible reminder of her abominable deeds.</p><p>Her determination seemed to burn brighter than her pain as she willed herself to her shaking feet and picked up the mask. Rayla stumbled her way out of the mouth of the cave and chucked the totem into the forest below the hill.</p><p>"Um… you good?" Callum asked. Rayla turned her aching neck toward the human who was sitting down next to the fire, his hands outstretched towards it's heat. She seemed to have forgotten how to speak, it had been so long since she had talked to anyone that her lips didn't seem to want to open if it was for someone else's ears.</p><p>"Y-yeah." she managed to say. "I'm alrigh'." The human didn't seem to worried about her being up and about.</p><p>"What was that?" Callum asked after a moment. He picked up some sort meat in his hands and took a bite as Rayla's stomach began to moan.</p><p>"What?" Rayla asked, so brain dead that she was genuinely confused. Callum raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"The thing you just threw into the woods. What was it?" Rayla couldn't seem to think about anything other than how suddenly hungry she was.</p><p>"I had to get rid of something." She said, eyeing the chunk of meat the human held, her mouth started salivating at the sight of the flesh. "Can I have some of tha'?" She asked rather abruptly. Despite how informal she was being, Callum's concerned eyebrow settled and he cracked a reassured smile.</p><p>"Sure, I already had some cut off for you." He gestured down to the fire base where a large leaf was nestling a fatty chunk of muscle. Rayla sank down to her knees and sat next to the rather small fire, nearly extinguishing the flames with her drool. The elf began tipping the steak to shreds as she violently began gnashing and gnawing off huge chunks of the tender meat. "Slow down!" Callum began, somewhat alarmed, "no one's going to take it from you. Try to enjoy it."</p><p>Not entirely in her right mind yet, Rayla obeyed and began taking smaller bites of the chunk.</p><p>"Feeling any better?" Callum asked. Rayla didn't even stop eating but she nodded her head as her teeth scraped the bone. "Do elves always eat like this?" Callum asked in bewilderment. Rayla paused a moment and put down her chunk of meat.</p><p>"That's kinda racist, don' ya think?" Callum rubbed the back of his neck.</p><p>"Sorry, I've just never seen anyone eat like that… well maybe Ezran, there was this one time when he was so focused on teaching Bait a new trick that he skipped breakfast. Boy, aunt Amaya gave him a scolding after that, she wouldn't let him have lunch as a punishment, and by dinner he was as ravenous as a wolf!" Callum stopped to chuckle at his own simile. Rayla hadn't picked up the steak yet as she looked at the human with a strange sort of curiosity.</p><p>"Do all humans talk this much?" Callum stopped laughing for a moment as he responded,</p><p>"Well that's kinda racist, don't you think?" Rayla sighed.</p><p>"Touche." </p><p> </p><p>Seeming to ignore this, the human continued to talk about all sorts of things. His brother and his pet, his family, the castle, his lessons, the girl he liked but never asked out. Rayla couldn't help but look at him without some strange feeling of curiosity. She had never met anyone that would give her their life story so fast, but things weren't all so happy as the boy's story got darker…</p><p>"And then one night while we were in our village getaway house…" Callum paused as his eyes began to water. "One night… our dad came in from outside and told us all to hide. We didn't know what was happening but we listened to him. My mother started talking to him and she told Ez and I to hide in the hutch. I couldn’t quite tell what they were saying, but I knew that something was wrong.” Rayla’s gut began to wrench at the human’s story.</p><p>“Ez asked me if everything was alright and I tried to reassure him… but… he thought everything was fine and went out of the hutch. I tried to stop him, but I hesitated when I didn’t see either my mom or step-dad.” The water in Callum’s eyes began to flow down his cheek. “And… and then he ran… to find mom I guess… and I never saw him again.” Rayla began breathing shakily as her first few kills played through her mind. Could she have been the one who had slain this human’s family?</p><p>Callum continued, “Then my mom came back without him and I was so worried… and then… and then I lost her… I lost everyone.” Rayla felt pain at what she had done, more so than she had ever felt before. There had always been a part of her that knew killing was wrong, but now the grief and regret was hitting her like a rock to the face. Yet above all of her guilt, she felt pity and sympathy for the lonesome human, who could very well be the last of his kind.</p><p>“I-I’m sorry.” Rayla apologized yet again. She realized that the woman she had killed was this human’s mother. She had taken everything from him personally and her heart felt like an anvil had been placed on it. The human didn’t seem to know that she personally had done such a vile deed and that was probably for her betterment at the moment. Callum waved off her apology and turned his head away.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter. It's already been done. My father used to say to me that what is done cannot be undone. Now I see what he meant.” Unsure as to what to do, Rayla placed a consoling hand on the human's shoulder. Callum glanced up at her, his eyes stained with tears.</p><p> </p><p>Trying to change the subject for both her conscience and Callum’s sake, Rayla asked, “So how did ya banish tha Orchaeoch?” The human rubbed his wet eyes.</p><p>“The what now?”</p><p>“The Orchaeoch, ya know the giant eyeless demon that kept huntin’ us.” Rayla explained as Callum’s eyes widened in realization.</p><p>“Oh yeah! He’s actually not evil! He’s just really smart and hates the dark… I think its some sort of spiritual sense or something cause he seemed fine at night.” Rayla stared at the human in bewilderment.</p><p>“Wha’ do ya mean not evil! Tha’ thing tried to kill us!!!”</p><p>“No, it was just trying to talk with me. It’s a good creature, I swear!” Rayla threw down her fists in anger, ignoring the immense pain in her arm.</p><p>“Well tha’ ‘good creature’ killed my mentor!” There was an awkward silence following Rayla’s outburst where neither of the two dared to speak. Finally Callum willed himself to break the uncomfortable silence.</p><p>“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings and its probably best if i leave now seeing as how you’re in pretty good shape.” The human remarked as he stood and slung a sack over his back. Rayla jumped up and grabbed her side in pain.</p><p>“No wait!” She exclaimed. Callum turned toward the elf in confusion. Rayla blushed as she said, “please don’t go. I don’ have anyone ta talk to an’ I’m still a little… shook I guess from tha’ thing tryin’ ta eat me. Can ya at least stay for one more day? Then I promise I’ll be outta yer hair.” Callum smiled.</p><p>“Yeah!” He said happily, for he was joyous of the idea of company. “I’m a little lonely myself.” He chuckled shyly before placing his satchel back down and burying his red face into his steak. Rayla sighed with relief at the assurance of some sort of sentient company, but some part of her still felt unsure of whether she should be in the presence of the last human.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Venator Ceggis, I sense that Rayla is in need of assistance. I want you to depart immediately as to arrive one day earlier than she expects, do you understand?” The sunfire elven youth smiled brightly at the prospect of seeing the attractive elf again.</p><p>“Yes Aaravos. I shall depart immediately.” Ceggis stated triumphantly as he turned to walk out of the room. Aaravos raised his hand and called,</p><p>“And remember Ceggis, if by some queer chance that you come across the now extinct species, i want no hesitation.” Ceggis smiled.</p><p>“It would be my pleasure.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know that I haven't uploaded or updated anything in (looks at calendar) Months?!?! but life is pretty crazy and I've been working on an actual book that is almost ready to hit the shelves!</p><p>Again thank you for reading and while I do not plan to write as often, I do plan to start reading a lot of other author's works here on AO3! Recommend me some of your favorite works to me below in the comments if you please! </p><p>Also I plan to change my AO3 pseud to: birch_tree </p><p>Stay safe and healthy!</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. But Wait! There's More!!!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>So I had another idea and it seemed fitting to put it on the end of this work which has over 5,000 hits! (Which is amazing and I thank you all for reading! Part II is being worked on and I want it to have an especially long opening chapter!) So here we go!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As you may have guessed... This is no ordinary chapter.</p><p>After seeing such a huge amount of feedback from this work, I thought to myself, "huh, I wonder if there was a way that the entire community of TDP lovers could communicate... And not just small bits and pieces of compliments for books and whatnot, but an actual way to get the community together." And then I remembered a thing called DISCORD!</p><p>That's right ladies and gentlemen! A discord server! Dedicated entirely to the diverse and massive fandom of The Dragon Prince! But you may be asking yourself, "Porg Master, wouldn't the server just be full of people who read your works? Your amazing works?" And I would say,</p><p>"Why thank you my dear fine audience friend! And yes! It will start out with those who read my stuff, but that's why I'm counting on you guys to invite your TDP loving friends to join as well!" That's right folks! You heard it here first! Invite the authors of your favorite fanfics, invite your favorite TDP artists, or just your next door neighbor who you told about TDP and they couldn't get over it since!</p><p>All that said, anyone of you who joins the server is obliged to invite as many TDP fans as flipping possible! That's right! As many TDP fans as flipping possible! So what are you waiting for? Dive into a community of like-minded individuals who all share one thing on common, the love of The Dragon Prince!</p><p>Join using this link!   https://discord.gg/Gsx8VVmKJ5</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>DarthPrysm helped with some of the more... gory attributes of this work. Shout out to DarthPrysm, thanks for all you do and keep writing! I see huge potential in you!</p><p>DarthPrysm has also worked with me on The Adventures of the Cosmic Titans, which we are currently remaking into a much more serious saga. Stay tuned for details! Hope you all enjoyed and stay safe and healthy my friends!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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